The Archer
by MsJc1210
Summary: The father leaves to be a pirate. The mother withers away in bed. The brother is gone from a fall. All there is left is the solemn sister with her bow and arrows. AU where Usopp's twin sister is the Straw Hats sniper instead. SNIPPETS
1. This is the start

**Author's Note:** Usopp is my favorite character in One Piece. His negativity, cowardice, weaknesses... They're relatable and I can't help but see myself in him. But this idea of being spiteful towards his absent father rather than admiring him had been swimming in my head for some time. I couldn't really picture him being that way, though, so I decided to write a story where his sister did that for him.

* * *

 **The Archer**

 **SUMMARY:** The father leaves to be a pirate. The mother withers away in bed. The brother is gone from a fall. All there is left is the solemn sister with her bow and arrows. AU where Usopp's twin sister is the Straw Hats sniper instead.

* * *

 **Chapter 1:** This is the start

* * *

"I'm sorry, Banchina," Dr. Moors said, bowing his head. "I… I'm afraid there's nothing else that I can do."

Adalina's stomach twisted painfully at that. She stared anxiously at her mother who lied pale and withdrawn from underneath her covers. Once the woman had been cheerful and lively, and now she lied bedridden due to her sickly state. Her mother still smiled as often as she had before, but her smiles appeared so weary nowadays. It was as if she was mustering up the last of her energy to grant them a parting gift.

The thought of losing her mother frightened Adalina. She had always known that her mother's illness had been severely impairing her health, but the reality of her inevitable death had never struck her as hard as it had these past couple of days. Without her there to be her warm shelter and comfort, Adalina felt lost and lonely.

"No, it's quite alright." Her mother opened her eyes. There were heavy dark circles around her eyes, yet her eyes remained bright. "It can't be helped, but I'm grateful for all that you could do…"

"Regardless," Dr. Moors sighed.

Dr. Moors was an elderly man with a mild yet grizzly face. Adalina hadn't known him that well until he had started taking care of her mother. From there, she had gotten to know the kind doctor, and knew for certain that he was sorrowful that he couldn't do more for her mother.

Adalina herself wished that there was more that could be done. A small dark part of her thought that, despite the doctor's best efforts, perhaps he had been incompetent to truly aid her mother. Had he been better, then her mother wouldn't be wasting away inside the house. Had there been another doctor more capable, then her mother wouldn't leave them alone in this world.

Adalina's fingers curled into the fabric of her skirt as she grimaced. She felt tears peek out at the corners of her eyes.

"Ada." Adalina lifted her head, meeting her mother's gaze. The woman smiled. "Ada, I'm sorry about this, but it seems that I'll be leaving you and your brother behind."

Adalina pursed her lips to prevent herself from sobbing outright. She nodded.

"Ah, you're such a smart girl, so you would have known… And you're a strong girl. Be sure to take care of your brother, okay?"

She sniffled. "O-okay…"

"Pirates!" The doors burst open, revealing a panting Usopp. "Pirates are here!"

"Now hold on, Usopp—" the doctor began, but he was cut short when Usopp ran past him and the nurse. He stood next to the stool that Adalina was sitting, proudly presenting himself before their mother.

"Mom, it's gonna be alright!" Usopp declared, his grin wide and beaming. "Dad finally came home. He's going to take us away!"

"Oh, Usopp," their mother said with a humored smile. "You and your imagination…"

"B-but it's true!" Usopp's jollity crumbled. His eyes began to brim with tears, yet he carried on. "Once you recover, he'll take us out to the sea and we'll have adventures together."

"Your father won't be coming back," she sighed. "Even so… I'm glad I married him."

There was almost a wistful note in her trailed voice. Adalina couldn't understand it. How could their mother continue to love someone who willingly left her and their children behind? Especially during her last moments. Never mind their mother's stories of how she urged her husband to settle on his hard decision between staying with his family or achieving his lifelong dream. If they truly mattered, wouldn't he have visited them already?

Usopp didn't let it go. Since he couldn't convince their mother of their father's arrival, he told her about him finding a legendary medicine that could cure all diseases. Adalina felt herself getting angry. At times like this, why would he keep pushing these stupid lies onto their mother? The woman already knew that Usopp was being ridiculous, so why couldn't Usopp get the hint?

"Usopp," Adalina growled warningly.

"It's true," he persisted through the tears and snot. "It's true. I would know b-because I'm the son of a pirate!"

"Then make sure you grow up to be like him. Strong and brave…" Their mother closed her eyes and whispered, "Because there is nothing more than I want than to have my children reaching for their own dreams… Just like…their father…"

Adalina snapped out of her anger as she lunged out of her seat. "Mom?" she said, gripping onto the covers and shaking the woman. "Mom? Mom!"

"Mom?" Usopp cried alongside her. "Please! Wake up!"

It was a bright and sunny day when their mother passed away, yet it felt like a dark and cold night.


	2. Of something new

**The Archer**

 **SUMMARY:** The father leaves to be a pirate. The mother withers away in bed. The brother is gone from a fall. All there is left is the solemn sister with her bow and arrows. AU where Usopp's twin sister is the Straw Hats sniper instead. Snippets.

* * *

 **Chapter 2:** Of something new

* * *

They weren't liked. Or, at least, Usopp wasn't.

Usopp spent his days running around the village and telling lies about pirates coming. The adults, once pitying and understanding, were now peeved and agitated. Believing that he would stop after their mother's death, they initially had fallen for Usopp's returning hollers of pirates arriving from the docks. They hadn't been so understanding after discovering that it had been a lie, especially after getting their defenses up and spending the entire day locked indoors.

The children had picked up on the adults' annoyance. At school, they teased Usopp for his daily routine and mocked him for being proud of having a pirate for a father.

"What's so great about having a no-good pirate for a dad?" they would say. "He's just gonna get caught by the Marines before he can even get himself a wanted poster."

Because of Usopp's persistence and his impetuous retaliation, this drove others further away from him. The adults saw him as a troublemaker who was on his way of becoming like his good-for-nothing father, and the children saw him as a weirdo who couldn't stop shouting outlandish lies.

By relation, that meant that Adalina wasn't liked either.

The only person who didn't ostracize them was Dr. Moors. From time to time, he would sigh and shake his head at Usopp's antics, but he wouldn't do anything to discourage him of the habit. He had once said to Adalina about coping mechanisms, but Adalina hadn't comprehended what he had meant by that.

"If it helps him get through his day, then there's no harm in it," Dr. Moors would say. Adalina, however, thought that the real harm would be furthering Usopp's delusions.

Usopp later took up the hobby of slingshotting. Their father, when he had still been here, had taught them how to shoot—from pitching a throw to using a bow to slingshotting. Usopp had ended up favoring the slingshot but hadn't practiced it regularly until recently.

"I gotta practice so that I can be the greatest warrior of the seas," he had told her. "That way, I can properly lead the ten thousand men who'll sail under my flag!"

As more time passed by, the more Usopp seemed to be convinced that he really was going to become a pirate. Whether it would be the greatest warrior or Captain Usopp of the Usopp Pirates, Usopp believed that he would experience an adventure of a lifetime and gain infamy from it. Adalina, like everyone else, had grown fed up with it.

"Usopp, we're almost ten. When are you going to realize that becoming a pirate is just impossible?"

"Well, by the time I'm older, becoming a pirate won't be impossible anymore," Usopp said. "It's gonna be my destiny!"

The siblings were on their way back home from school. Usopp was sporting bruises from his earlier tumble with their classmates. He would have had more, but he had grown to be a rather excellent runner. For someone who made daily proclamations of being a warrior, he was developing quite the cowardly streak.

A sigh gusted out of Adalina. "And how are you going to do that? There aren't ship builders around, so there's no way for you to sail out to sea. And you don't seriously think that you can be a pirate with just a slingshot, do you?"

"You're always on my case about this, Ada," Usopp huffed, irritation tinging his voice, but he then perked up. "But you'll see! Once Dad comes back for us, he'll take us on all sorts of cool adventures and train us to be pirates."

"He's not coming back," Adalina said for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah he will. He's a brave a strong man—Mom said so. That means he's a man of honor, so he'll have to come back!"

"It'd be better if he died out there."

Adalina didn't know why she said that. Their exchanges were routine and followed a similar dialogue: She would scold Usopp, Usopp would brush her off and make his declarations, she would try to reason with him, he would bring up their father, she would say that he wouldn't return, and he would counter her with saying that he would. By that point, they would either go back and forth about it or Adalina would drop the subject.

So hearing herself utter that took her by surprise. Usopp's shocked face matched her own feelings, but Adalina felt her own expression kept its impassivity.

Usopp broke out of his stunned stupor and demanded furiously, "Why… Why would you say that?"

Because, unlike Usopp, Adalina was far from admiring of their father. She had went from troubled by his absence to resentful. Had he been here, he could have taken care of them instead of leaving them on their own. A busy man like Dr. Moors could only help by so much. Had he been here, Usopp wouldn't have the need to go lying to everyone. Usopp and Adalina would actually have friends, not be excluded and bullied.

They would have someone to help them, guide them, and protect them. Yet here they were—two kids who hardly knew how to do anything, were the black sheep of the village, and were barely scraping by. Had he been here, Adalina wouldn't be filled with these ugly bitter emotions that grew bit by bit every day. Had he been here, he could have said goodbye to their mother.

So Adalina took her feelings that she had been bottling up and threw it in her brother's face. Usopp, in turn, became red in anger. He lunged forward and shoved her shoulders, knocking her down into the ground.

"Don't say that!" he shouted. "Don't you remember what Mom said? Dad isn't that kind of person! He's going to come back."

"You're the one who forgot what Mom said. She said that he's not going to!" Adalina snapped back. She picked herself up and returned his glare. "Besides, he could have died out there already, for all we know. And even if he's still alive, it doesn't matter. Face it, Usopp. We mean nothing to him."

Usopp's round eyes watered, but he swiped away the tears before they could fall. "I don't care what you say," he said. "If you don't believe in Dad, then… Then I'll prove it to you!"

With that said, Usopp took off ahead of her. Adalina scowled, renewed frustration welling up inside of her, but she held it in. She held her breath until the surging feeling died down, and she deflated with a weary exhale. She watched as her brother's figure shrink into the horizon until she couldn't see him anymore.

* * *

It was an early morning when Adalina didn't find her brother munching breakfast at the dining table like how he usually did. If he wasn't here, then he must be somewhere near the docks. She grabbed a baguette and an apple before heading out. She figured that he must be sulking due to yesterday's quarrel and was likely practicing his shooting to vent.

Instead, she found him climbing up the tallest tree on the cliff.

Adaline gasped, dropped the food, and rushed closer. "Usopp!"

"Hey, Ada!" Usopp called down to her from his high perch.

"What are you doing? Get down! You're going to hurt yourself," she cried out to him.

"Did ya know this tree overlooks all of the Seven Seas? I would know because the Old Sage of the North told me himself that he had planted this tree for that purpose!" Usopp pulled himself up onto another branch. "So I'm gonna climb all the way to the top. That way, I can see where Dad is."

Frightened, Adalina called out to him, "Okay, I believe you! Dad's coming back! Just get down!"

"It's alright, Ada. I've been thinking of what you said yesterday." Usopp continued his ascent to the top, although his exhaustion was apparent. "You just need proof to know that Dad's on his way back to us. Once I get to the top, I'll be able to see him and his ship!"

"Usopp!"

"Don't worry about it! Every night when you fall asleep, I've been secretly training with a mystic mountain monk who decided that I was worthy to become his pupil! Trees are nothing compared to the mountains that I had to climb with one hand tied behind my back— _ack_!"

He slipped and would have fallen straight down had it not been for the branch that he managed to catch in time.

"Usopp!" Adalina shrieked.

"I-it's okay. I got—I got this," he assured, yet his trembling form and stammering gave away just how startled he was.

"Just get down! You're going to fall!"

"No worries—Captain Usopp is capable of anything! This is just a fluke—" The branch he was clinging onto snapped a bit, sloping downward due to his weight. "Okay, I'm scared. Ada, _help_!"

Adalina momentarily froze. Her blood gone cold with fear as her eyes were transfixed by her brother precariously dangling at a dangerous height. Her brain then kickstarted into action, and she gasped at the sight. "U-Usopp, hang on!" she cried.

"That's all that I can do!"

The first thing she thought of was getting Dr. Moors. He was an adult, so he would know what to do. She frantically ran down the hill and to the doctor's house. There, she pounded her fist at his door. "Dr. Moors! Please, get up!"

However, there wasn't a response. Sensing that the old man wasn't going to answer her calls anytime soon, she made her way to her house. There wasn't a clear plan in her mind as to what she could do. She just knew that, if Dr. Moors didn't open his door, then no one else would. She was the resident troublemaker's sister, after all. Why would they heed her call?

Adalina burst into her house, and the first thing her eyes settled on was the bow that was propped against the wall by the furnace. The bow remained untouched ever since their father had left, just collecting dust and serving as a reminder of childhood shenanigans. Adalina grabbed it without thinking and tore the place in search for an arrow.

She managed to retrieve a bundle from underneath Usopp's bed, and then wasted no time running back to the cliff. She wouldn't have the time nor energy to run up the slope, so she hurried to go to the other side, which was below the tree. As she neared, she could see Usopp's branch already halfway broken.

"Ada!" Usopp screamed.

Her chest hurt from the exertion. Her lungs heaved heavily, trying to filter in as much air as she had expelled from her race against time. Adalina dropped all but one arrow and fumbled with the bow. "Usopp, hold still," she forced the air out of her to muster up a shout. "I'm—I'm going to try to pin your clothes to the tree."

"Just don't shoot _me_!"

She positioned the bow and tried to focus on her aim, but her arms shook. The arrow flew onwards fluidly, but embedded itself against the bark next to Usopp's head. Usopp cried out in alarm.

She tried again and again, but every arrow had missed its supposed mark.

She felt her throat swell from a choked sob. Tears that ran created hot trails on her cheeks. Adalina hiccupped as her sweaty palms gripped desperately at the bow's handle. Usopp was also weeping, crying out pleas for help for whoever was out there. He didn't want to die. Adalina didn't want him to die. She didn't want to be alone.

She grabbed one of her last arrows and positioned once again. She fired.

As the arrow soared, the branch completely snapped. Usopp was now in midair, pulled downwards by gravity—but that lasted for only a second until the arrow snagged onto the strap of his overalls and pinned him against the tree.

"A-Ada!" Usopp's face morphed from fear to surprise to undiluted relief and joy. "Ada, you did it!"

Usopp's face matched her own feelings, and her expression, this time, mirrored his. "G-grab onto another branch! The arrow won't hold on for much longer!"

"Got it!" Usopp stretched out an arm for the closest branch, which was above his head. The arrowhead dislodged, however, causing him to fall over the cliff.


	3. To walk alone

**The Archer**

 **SUMMARY:** The father leaves to be a pirate. The mother withers away in bed. The brother is gone from a fall. All there is left is the solemn sister with her bow and arrows. AU where Usopp's twin sister is the Straw Hats sniper instead. SNIPPETS.

* * *

 **Chapter 3:** To walk alone

* * *

"Ada, I'm so sorry. I—I should have gotten out of bed. There's no excuse. I am so very sorry." Dr. Moors held her tightly within his arms. His voice rumbled sorrowfully out of his chest.

Adalina buried her face into his shirt, heaving out the last of her sobs. The body had been removed hours ago, yet the image of her brother's sprawled form was imprinted vividly into her mind.

* * *

At age thirteen, Adalina was self-sufficient and responsible. She knew how to fish and cook. She was sloppier in these areas, but she knew how to mend clothes and repair floorboards. Once a week, she would do her laundry. Twice a week, she would tidy up her house.

At school, she dutifully turned in her homework and was attentive during lessons. After school, she would assist as Dr. Moors and run errands for the villagers for her earnings. She would save enough to pay the tax collector who came by monthly, and then would spend the rest on necessities.

Yet out of all the things that she did the best was her ability to hunt.

Being the doctor's assistant and the local gofer hadn't been enough to keep her financially secure, so she had to turn to other options. While initially hesitant, she had decided that hunting had been the best way to compensate. This way, she could fill her stomach and make a selling while doing something that she had known she had been already decent at.

Venturing deep into the forest was territory that was rarely touched, which meant a thriving ecosystem. It made sense since the villages and towns of Gekko Islands were located miles away from the forest; additionally, the farmlands provided an adequate supply of resources that left no man starving.

What Adalina had been hoping for, however, was to offer something new to the menu. Something aside from fish, chicken, pork, and beef.

Her first couple hunts had been largely unsuccessful despite the bountiful game. She had made too much noise that had alerted the animals, had accidentally dumped out all her arrows of out her quiver, and had missed numerous times when shooting. Her first weekends had been spent hiking miles to the forest, and then hiking miles back emptyhanded.

However, on the day that she had become successful, she had returned with a slew of small animals tied to a long branch. People hadn't been so eager to purchase from a little girl covered in dirt and blood, but minds eventually had changed when the chef of Syrup Village's Meshi Restaurant had prepared fantastic meals out of the game.

The villagers had a penchant for pheasants and rabbits, Adalina had later found out. Pheasants and rabbits happened to be her most requested game. Farmers had even approached her with the request of bringing in live game in hopes of domesticating them. She had considered doing the same herself, but she hadn't gotten the knack for taming wild animals.

Ever since her regular trips to the forest had started to take root, Dr. Moors had asked her to forage certain plants for him and even instructed her how to use them. Tansy for bug repellant, hyssop for nausea, catnip for bleeding, sage for digestion, and sweet violets for sore throats. He had also taught her that there were other plants that were safe for her to eat. Within her own house was brimming with such plants.

Gaston, Dr. Moors's apprentice, would occasionally stop by to restock his own stores. Dr. Moors had pushed the young man into experimenting his own concoctions, which prompted Gaston to not only garden his own herbs but also reach out to Adalina in case he ran out of ingredients.

"Have you ever gone for deer?" Gaston asked her one day.

They were inside Dr. Moors's office, filing his cabinets and sorting his collection of herbs. It was a hot Friday afternoon, which, by Adalina's standards, was a perfect time to stay indoors. It was also a time for boys to go making dumb decisions such as jumping off a ledge into shallow ponds. As of right now, Dr. Moors was treating the boys for injuries.

"Deer?" Adalina parroted.

"Yeah." Gaston turned to face her, his copper fringe falling over his forehead. He smiled. "When I was young, my uncle used to hunt just like you."

"He did? I thought I was the only hunter since decades."

"Well, he didn't hunt to sell; he just brought whatever he got to the family. Anyways, there were times when he managed to take down a deer. He had a wagon with him, so he could lug the thing back home without much difficulty." Gaston chuckled to himself. "My aunt would yell at him whenever he did since cleaning a deer's a nightmare, but she made the best meat pies and steaks out of it. My uncle's too old to hunt now, but I sure miss eating deer."

"I could hunt deer for you," Adalina quickly said.

Gaston was one of the few people who was openly friendly towards her. He didn't fun of her in a contemptuous manner that boys did, and he didn't gossip and giggle behind her back the way that girls did. Whenever he did tease her, it was always done in a joking manner that made her stomach go pleasantly fluttery. He never avoided her, but rather approached her with his warm smile and dimples. Of all people she did requests for, she usually prioritized Gaston's.

He stared at her contemplatively before shaking his head. "When you're older, sure. You're tiny; even if you do manage to take one down, you wouldn't be able to bring it back here on your own."

She blushed. "I could with a wagon."

Gaston laughed and ruffled her hair. "The wagon would be too heavy for you to pull, silly. No, it's fine. But once you get a deer, I'll be sure to be your first customer."

She frowned but nodded.

"By the way, when you go to the forest tomorrow, could you see if there are any nettle? Somehow, my experiment winded up with me finding a possible solution for inflammation. Nettle has properties for that sort of thing, so I think it could strengthen whatever I'm making."

"Your accidental experiments usually do have the best results," Adalina said. "Sure, I'll get you some."

"Thanks, Ada."

"Well, that's the last of them," Dr. Moors said, entering his office with a sigh. Adalina placed down the papers she was holding to retrieve a chair. The doctor thanked the girl before slowly settling himself on the seat. He released a groan and rubbed his knees.

"Maybe I should make something for arthritis," Gaston mused.

"Oh, shush, boy," Dr. Moors scolded, but he was smiling in good humor. "Although, if you were to master medicines sooner, then I would have retired already."

"Oh, come on. I'm well on my way there. Isn't that right, Ada?"

"Sure," she responded loyally.

"If only you believed that."

Dr. Moors chortled, but then gave shuddering coughs. Ada rubbed circles on his back, and he smiled at her gratefully. "Ada, you have a hunt tomorrow, is that right? You should stop for today and get some rest."

"But I haven't finished," she protested.

"Nonsense. That's what I have Gaston for."

"Is that right?" Gaston snorted.

"Firstly, I must give you this week's payment." Dr. Moors opened his desk drawer and pulled out a black box. After unlocking it, he took out a handful of coins and dropped them into Adalina's palms. She stared at the amount in surprise.

"Doctor, this is more than usual—"

"Consider it a raise," he said, winking. "Now, begone. It won't do you any good if you go on your trip weary. Doctor's orders."

"I…" She looked back down at the coins before pocketing them. "Okay. Thank you."

"Good girl. I'll be seeing you tomorrow night, then?"

She nodded. "Any requests?"

"Duck, perhaps? It has been awhile."

"Got it." She bid the two men a farewell and headed for home.

Pushing open her door, a strong scent of herbs wafted out. To her pleasure, the smell of lavender still lingered. She had retrieved the flowers last week and planned to gather more tomorrow. She idly ran her fingers through the leafy bundles that hung on her wall as she made her way to the kitchen.

After making stew and having her supper, she cleaned up and retired to her room. She completed her homework, washed up, and prepared for sleep. In that duration, Adalina couldn't help but wonder what deer meat would taste like.

If Gaston missed eating it, then surely it would be delicious. And if she did get it for him, she wondered what his expression would be like. Would his eyes light up with joy? Would his grin stretch from ear to ear as his dimples deepen? Would he wrap his arms around her, giving her a hug?

Adalina closed her eyes and fell asleep to these thoughts.

* * *

At six in the morning, Adalina headed out. With her backpack strapped on, her bow hanging on her shoulder, and her quiver tied to her hip, she was ready for another hunt. Treading for two hours, she finally reached the edge of the forest.

She pulled out her notebook from her pocket. Worn out from use and the elements, the notebook had seen better days, yet it contained information that she wouldn't leave without. There were notes ranging from plants and animals to orders that her customers had made. Pressed between nearly half the pages were plants that reminded Adalina what they looked like.

She flipped through the pages and found one dedicated to nettle. She had neglected to ask Gaston whether he wanted stinging nettle or wood nettle, so she figured she should gather for both. Pocketing the notebook, she then set out to forage. It was best to forage first and hunt later; that way, the meat would remain fresh. Rabbits, Adalina had learned, tended to spoil quickly.

Anything that smelled strongly, such as flowers, she would gather last. It wouldn't do her well if she presented herself as a warning beacon to the animals that she tried to hunt.

After the foraging was done, she traveled deeper into the forest. The ground was casted in an eternal shadow from the towering trees and their thick canopy of leaves. She expertly walked over the protruding roots that were concealed with moss and grass. When she discovered an area that she believed to be a good spot, she ducked low behind the bushes, readied her weapon, and waited.

In a span of six hours, she managed to collect an assortment of game. She hadn't gotten a duck yet since waterfowl were typically found by the lake, which was further ahead. She knew that she had to return now; otherwise, her kill would spoil. Tomorrow, she would return. She knew that Dr. Moors wouldn't mind if his request was delayed to another day.

She turned around, but then froze at the sight before her. Standing yards away with its back turned was a deer. The doe's ears instantly perked upwards, but after awhile they dropped. The deer lowered its head, grazing.

Adalina slowly placed down her game and pulled out an arrow. Nocking her arrow, she settled for a perfect shot before releasing. The arrow sailed past the leaves and branches and struck into the base of the doe's neck. The doe jolted upwards and kicked its hindlegs, and then it dashed away into the thicket.

She took off, chasing down the deer. She was hardly as fast, but, as she continued down the path where she believed it had gone to, she eventually took notice of its collapsed form.

She did it. She killed a deer.

Adalina stood over it, chest heaving and heart pounding and eyes wide with amazement. She… She didn't really expect that she could do it, and yet her small arrow took down this large animal…

She nudged it with her foot, and sent its head lolling to the other side. Its big dark eye seemed as though it was gazing up at her. Adalina sighed and moved over to its rear. She tugged at its hindlegs and pulled, but the doe wouldn't budge. She continued to pull until the dirt underneath her boots gave way and caused her to slip onto her back.

"Ugh," she grunted, and then propped herself on her elbows. Gaston turned out to be right after all. But maybe if she rolled it…?

Adalina pressed her hands on the doe's side, but only succeeded in sending it lying on its side rather than its belly.

She swiped the sweat beading at her forehead. She couldn't move this thing no matter how hard she tried.

Perhaps the doe would be comparably lighter after field dressing it. Adalina put on her gloves, got out her knife, and made an incision from the anus to the end of its sternum. She wasn't sure if what she was doing was correct, but gutting a deer probably wasn't all that different from any other animal.

Bulbous grayish organs easily spilled out. After two years of experience, Adalina was far from queasy from gutting an animal anymore. Although, she never had done one this large before, and the sight of her work did make her swallow bile from time to time.

She hollowed out the deer of its entrails. Her work was rather messy as she ended up bloodying herself and the deer's flank. Nevertheless, the deed was done. She put away her gloves and knife, and then attempted to pull the doe again. While still heavy, it was now at a weight where Adalina could drag it back home.

Adalina smiled. She couldn't wait to see the look on Gaston's face.

Her smile dropped when she heard a howl.

She stiffened and quickly looked over her shoulder. The woods and foliage were dense, so she couldn't see anything. But if she could hear that howl clearly from where she was, did that mean that wolves were nearby?

Adalina felt herself panic. Of all her time spent here, she never heard nor encountered a wolf before. She knew that, from the elders' tales, wolf packs resided in the northern areas of the forest—that meant they were supposed to be miles and _miles_ away from here. What were wolves doing here?

She smothered a whimper and pulled out an arrow. In the tense silence, she could hear her blood rush in her ears. She nocked her arrow and pressed her back against a tree.

She waited for what felt like hours. The wolves probably weren't anywhere near here anymore, but her limbs were fixed in their position. She was too scared to move an inch.

There was a rustle from the bushes and poking out was a snout. And then another. Before she knew it, she was locking gazes with two silver-coated wolves. Their amber eyes steadied on her form, and then flickered down at her kill. Adalina's hushed breathing quickened.

One of the wolves took a guarded step forward and sniffed at the carcass. Her aim followed its movements. Its eyes were still trained on hers.

And almost out of nowhere, a third wolf appeared from behind her tree.

Startled, Adalina screamed and released the arrow. The wolf closest to her jolted backwards and the arrow pierced the wolf in front of her, causing it to yelp. Where she shot it, she didn't know. She didn't stay to find out as she bolted down the woodsy terrain.

Barks and howls followed behind her. In her bout of panic, her movements became frantic and clumsy. She tripped over a root and fell on her face. Thumps on the forest floor became louder, and that was when she knew for certain that the wolves were making their way towards her.

Her head whipped in all directions in a desperate need for an escape. She wouldn't be able to outrun a pack of wolves…but she could get above them.

Adalina scrambled onto her feet and clawed her way up the nearest tree. She threw herself onto a thick branch, wrapping her arms and legs around it. Then, breaking out from the foliage, arrived the wolves. There were more than three of them now—perhaps seven or eight of them. They growled and circled around the tree that she was clinging on, their amber eyes pinned on her form.

One wolf leapt up and snapped its jaws at her. Adalina squealed but didn't move. Couldn't move. Other wolves tried this as well, but the closest they have gotten to her was a few inches from biting off her fingers. Some even tried to clamber onto the tree, but they instead skidded back down.

For how long they had been at it, Adalina didn't know. She just knew that given the darkening shadows and the onset fatigue, it had been hours.

Her head was spinning and her mouth was parched. Adalina coughed from her dry throat, which drew the wolves' attention back onto her. This time, Adalina's nerves were settled. They hadn't been able to get her from this height, so she would likely remain safe if she changed positions. That, or her lethargy made her resigned to the fact that she was going to be stuck in this situation for who knew how long.

She placed her hands on top of the branch and pushed herself upright into a sitting position. Careful not to topple over so that she would end up dangling upside down, she gradually shuffled backwards until her backpack hit against the tree trunk. She then pressed her backpack against the tree and slid her back downwards, causing enough slack for one strap for her arm to slip out of.

She slipped out of the other strap and placed her backpack on her lap. Opening it, she pulled out a water bottle and eagerly drank out of the contents. She had fortunately packed another bottle, so she wouldn't be suffering from dehydration anytime soon.

Adalina wiped her mouth and readjusted her backpack so that she was now wearing it on her front. The doe's blood that stained her clothes stuck onto her skin and gave away a metallic cloying smell that worsened her headache. But she was too tired to care now.

Her eyes fluttered shut as the wolves lingered from below.

* * *

Adalina woke up to an aching bladder and a crick in her neck. She groaned and stretched her arms…and then tipped over and fell off her seat.

"Wah!" She landed on her arm and whined at the pain. The fall hadn't been so high that the impact would have left her a broken arm, but the pain was still agonizing. She rolled onto her and blearily stared at the trees that stood above her.

This wasn't her house…

Her eyes widened as a gasp left her lips. She sat up and quickly scoped the area. No sign of wolves anywhere.

Good, but she had to get out of here.

Adalina patted herself. Her notebook was in her pocket and her backpack on her. She then realized that her quiver was empty and her bow was missing. She must have dropped her bow and arrows on her way here. Probably she lost all arrows when she had tripped.

Whatever. She could always make some more. She hid herself behind a bush, dropped her trousers, and relieved herself. When she finished, she shoveled jerky into her mouth and drank some water. Meanwhile, her eyes continuously scanned the woods in case the wolves came back.

She decided that there was no point in retrieving her kills. The wolves must have devoured the doe, and foxes and badgers probably already had taken away her other game. Adalina didn't even have any other weapon on her aside from her knife, and, even then, that would be useless to hunt with.

The blood had long dried and now were stiff and ruddy patches on her clothes. She must have become accustomed to the smell by now because she didn't know how odorous she was. By the time she would make her return, onlookers might gag at her rank.

She sighed and made her journey back home. She wasn't in the mood to stop by the flower fields to pick up lavender.

When she came back to the village, the sun was already setting. She wasted two whole days and was unable to complete her customers' orders. Well, at least she managed to get Gaston his nettle.

Speaking of which, there was Gaston standing by her house. Adalina smiled and was about to greet him until she saw his expression—it was devoid of its usual cheeriness. Gaston took notice of her and hurried towards her.

"Ada! Where were you? You were supposed to be back yesterday!"

Adalina reeled her head back. Gaston had never raised his voice at her before. "Th-there was an incident… Um, Gaston, what's the matter? You look upset."

He ran his hand through his copper hair. "If only you've been here," he sighed, aggrieved. "Ada, I don't know how to break this to you. I mean, you're a strong girl, but this is going to be devastating and I hate being the one to tell you this…"

"Gaston, what is it?" Adalina asked, frowning. If Gaston was this troubled, then it must be terrible news. She nervously wrung her hands.

"Dr. Moors had a stroke." Gaston swallowed heavily before continuing. "He died this morning."

* * *

After tucking Adalina into bed, Dr. Moors headed over to the council meeting. It was quite late, yet the discussion of the matter was important—at least, it was for the doctor. Sitting at the meeting board were not only regular members of the council but also notable figures of the village such as the school's headmaster, the administrator of the public library, the village's wealthiest businessman, and the former village head. This was certainly surprising; however, given that a tragic incident had befallen onto a hamlet that had known only peace, this was perhaps expected.

Dr. Moors's eyes roved over the attendees. Some of them clustered together, their necks bent low as they shared whispers. Some of them appeared impatient, some of them bored, and some of them serious. Dr. Moors was aware of the mixed opinions regarding Usopp, but he had an inkling that those opinions would have transferred over to Adalina as well. The curse of being related to troublemakers, Dr. Moors sadly thought.

He sighed as he took his seat. He had long felt the grapples of time grinding down on his joints and back, but it felt as though the ache had doubled this morning. Was it the guilt weighing him down? He hadn't felt this way when Banchina had died, but perhaps back then it had been when he had known there was nothing he could have done. For Usopp—he could have done something. He should have.

When the current village head arrived, the room became silent. The head cleared his throat. "As you probably have already known, Yasopp and Banchina's only son, Usopp, died this morning. According to Dr. Moors's investigations, the cause of death was a broken neck." This prompted a round of murmurs.

The head continued, "The doctor also questioned the boy's twin sister, Adalina, who explained that Usopp had wanted to climb the tree on the cliff yet had slipped. Adalina had attempted to save him by using a bow and arrows, but, as you can see, had been unsuccessful."

"Why would the child do such a dangerous thing?" someone wondered concernedly.

"Which one? The one who climbed the tree or the one who shot the arrows?"

"Why didn't she come to us for help?"

"It probably didn't even cross her mind in her state of panic."

"We should cut that tree down to prevent another accident happening."

"What about the other trees? The children might climb those."

When the matter of the trees was dealt with—the trees would remain, but there would be safety protocols enforced at school—the head brought up the next topic: Adalina.

"From what I heard from my teachers, she is a good student," the principal said. "Quiet, hardworking, and obedient. I don't expect her to develop problems in the future."

"But did your teachers inform you of the bullying?" one of the members asked disdainfully. "I see that girl being teased and excluded by the children. Someone should keep those brats in check; otherwise, the girl really will have problems."

"Are you accusing of _my_ kids being bullies?" someone demanded, scandalized.

A momentary argument broke out about how to deal with the children. The principal, in addition to the safety protocols, agreed to let the teachers know about the bullying issue, but another person pointed out that just because the harassment would stop at school wouldn't mean it would stop outside of school.

"Then I suppose the parents would hold responsibility for teaching their own children as well," the head settled. "Is there anything else?"

"Her mother is gone, and now so is her brother. The loss would take a tremendous toll on young Adalina regardless of the bullying," the former head pointed out solemnly.

"We've seen something similar happen to Yasopp. Usopp had shown signs of it earlier, so Adalina might be the same," the administrator agreed.

Dr. Moors himself remembered Yasopp from when he had been a little upstart. There had been no one to keep the boy in check, so the village had suffered perpetual bouts of pranks and vandalization. In response, the village had turned its back on him, deeming him as a menace. It had been so easy to see Yasopp in Usopp, but would Adalina take after her father as well?

Then the businessman spoke. "If my Kaya one day ends up alone, then I would want someone to be there for her. For my daughter to be left alone in this world… I wouldn't be able to stand it." The man lifted his head high. "So I volunteer to take in Adalina as my own. I have more than enough wealth to take care of another, so it's only right that I should adopt her."

All eyes were drawn to the man with no one daring to breathe a word against his declared commitment. He was the role model to that everyone wanted to be like, after all. He was the perfect citizen who had started from nothing to having everything. He held a respectable title, was married to a modest woman, had sired a lovely daughter, and was essentially this tiny village's pride and joy.

The businessman had made himself known to be a genuinely kindhearted man despite his affluence. And, as the wealthiest man of the village, he certainly would be able to provide for a stray orphan. Who better to adopt Adalina than him?

"No."

Eyes went from the businessman to the person who spoke. Dr. Moors matched the businessman's height by rising onto his feet.

"No?" The businessman blinked, his confusion apparent. "Do you think I'm not right for the girl, Doctor?"

"Your heart is in the right place, surely, but your offer would bring misery to her," Dr. Moors said. "If Ada ends up taking after her father, then she wouldn't be happy with such a life of riches. Even Banchina willingly left Maple Town to live in this small village, so the girl won't be satisfied either way."

"Then what do you propose, Dr. Moors?" the head asked.

"I'll be the one to look after her."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Three strikes and you're out! Also, poor Chopper.


	4. On paths so true

**Author's Note:** Poor Chopper because Ada killed a deer—a deer like him! Lol.

* * *

 **The Archer**

 **SUMMARY:** The father leaves to be a pirate. The mother withers away in bed. The brother is gone from a fall. All there is left is the solemn sister with her bow and arrows. AU where Usopp's twin sister is the Straw Hats sniper instead. SNIPPETS.

* * *

 **Chapter 4:** On paths so true

* * *

Kaya woke up with a start. She sat upright and pulled her covers over her chin, scoping the interior of her room with trepidation. The moonlight peeking through her window offered some aid for her eyes, enough for her to see that there wasn't a creepy silhouette of a burglar.

Unless said burglar was hiding underneath her bed…

Anxious, Kaya had a scream build up in her throat, hoping that she could be heard by Klahadore or Merry. Just before she could release it, she heard a quack.

Kaya dropped her covers with a blink.

"Gwack gwack."

Fumbling for the lamp on her bedside stand, Kaya turned on the lights. A pale orange glow emanated from the lamp, but it was sufficient in chasing away the all of the darkness that the moonlight couldn't. The first thing she noticed was her opened window. The next thing she noticed was the trail of…mud? Was that mud?

Her eyes followed the trail, which started at the window sill all the way to her bed. Kaya crawled out of her covers and to the edge of her bed. She hung her head to peek below, her hair cascading and lightly brushing the floor. To her curiosity, she found that the trail made its way underneath.

"Gwack gwack."

So the intruder was indeed hiding there, but it seemed that she was incorrect as to _what_ the intruder was.

"How peculiar. What's a duck doing here?" Kaya muttered as she pulled herself up.

She liked to sleep with the window open during these hot summer nights, so it was obvious that the duck had gotten inside through that. However, that was where the oddity came from—she never had an animal enter her room before no matter how often she had her window open. For that matter, she couldn't see how her room could have drawn in a duck of all things. The mansion wasn't located anywhere near a pond.

Kaya slipped off her bed and crouched down low. Almost as if it was huddling within its own body was a mottled-colored creature with a green head. Its tail wagged as its beady eyes were warily fixed on her face. The duck quacked again.

The poor thing looked so pitiful and frightened. It seemed that the duck had flown in here for shelter. From what, Kaya had no clue. Her mind immediately went back to the time when her father had informed her of how most wildlife lived miles away from the village. The idea that a predator cornering this duck didn't seem plausible, but, then again, predators didn't have to be wolves, bears, or any other scary animals. For all she knew, a fox or cat could have preyed on this duck.

There was a sudden thump behind her. Kaya gasped and scrambled onto her feet, turning around to find a girl standing before her.

She appeared to be quite short and thin, especially with her long-sleeved shirt dipping low to reveal her protruding collarbones and her baggy trousers barely hanging onto her hips. Tied to her waist was an empty quiver and strapped to her back was a backpack. Her wavy hair was pulled into low pigtails, yet the girlish hairstyle did nothing to soften the militant way of her dress nor the hardness in her gaze. There were dirt marks on her face and clothes.

If there was one word that described the girl overall, it would be…scruffy.

Kaya, stupefied by her presence, openly stared at her with a dropped jaw.

"I'm here for my duck."

The blonde blinked back into awareness before registering what was just said. "Your…duck?" she reiterated dumbly.

"Yeah." The girl neared Kaya's spot, her head bent as her eyes followed the muddy tracks. "I saw it fly in here." The girl dropped down to her haunches and peered underneath. A feeble quack followed. "Yup, there it is."

"Oh." So the duck had an owner?

"I'll get it out as fast as I can and leave right after."

"No rush," Kaya assured. Sure, the duck did cause her abrupt wakeup call at an unrefined time—a bit after three o'clock, judging by the clock hanging on her wall—but she was awake now. Not to mention how she had something interesting going on in her life since years. Knowing that this was now amounted to something eventful caused Kaya to smile awkwardly to herself.

"Hm." The girl lied on her stomach and crawled underneath the bed. The duck must have moved away from her grasp because half of the girl's body was visible now. Odd. Did pet birds not forge trust in their owners very well? Kaya knew that she shouldn't compare them to the average loyal dog, but she figured that an animal would develop enough dependency to not fear its human caretaker.

Although, given the state that she had found the bird in, she wondered… Perhaps, rather than a predator, what this duck had experienced was an abusive owner.

However, Kaya wasn't quite convinced by that train of thought. She had been taught not to judge a book by its cover, but she just couldn't see how this child would be capable of doing such evil acts. Even if she did have a rather rugged look to her, there was something deliberate and direct in her actions and words that made Kaya think that this girl wouldn't want to waste her time picking on animals.

But that still didn't explain the duck's behavior.

"Is your duck always this skittish?" Kaya inquired.

"Ever since I got it, yeah."

Maybe the duck's previous owner had been the abusive one. "How did it get so dirty?"

"It broke out of its cage and has been running away from me. Must have landed in a puddle." The girl pulled herself out of the bed and looked up at Kaya. "Sorry about your room, by the way."

"No need to apologize," Kaya said earnestly. Bertha might get a conniption over getting the stains out, though. "Are you having trouble getting it out?"

"It moved more so the other side now," she sighed.

"I can help."

Together, the two of them managed to corner the bird. The duck ended up waddling into Kaya's arms. Its body was cold and wet, but Kaya held onto it closely to her chest. It vibrated within her hold, but it didn't resist.

"Gwack gwack."

"We did it!" Kaya said, grinning brightly.

"Thanks for that." The girl reached over and grabbed the duck by its neck, pulling it out of Kaya's arms.

Kaya's mind went blank momentarily. She knew nothing about how to take care of ducks, but she instinctively knew that there was something wrong with the way the girl was handling it. This seemed to be the case when its wings were flapping violently, and its quacking became increasingly louder and more frantic.

"Wh-why are you holding your pet like that?"

"Pet? This isn't my pet—this is my meal."

Kaya gasped. "Your what?"

"My meal," she repeated patiently. "I'll be going now. Have a good night."

As the girl spun on her heel and made her move towards the window, Kaya impulsively clung onto her backpack and pulled her down.

"Ack!" The girl staggered with a foot falling back to save her from a fall. "What—what—"

"You can't do that!" Kaya exclaimed. "You can't kill it!"

She straightened her back and gave her a strange look. "Huh?"

"Can't you see? The duck is scared and vulnerable and—and don't hold it like that!"

"Are you a vegetarian?"

"What? I—no, but…!"

"Then you do realize that you can't grow beef crops or pork trees, right?" the girl asked dryly. "There are people who do the dirty work for you so that you can have your fill of beef and pork."

Humiliated, Kaya's cheeks burned. Never had anyone ever spoken to her in such a manner before. "I know! I'm not dumb. But—but it's not right in what you're about to do. You can't just kill it since—" Kaya desperately grasped straws in finding an answer. "Since you're not a professional!"

"How would you know that?"

"You're too young! There's no way that you would know how to properly put down an animal."

The girl sighed. "Well, tomorrow, I plan on seeing a _professional_. Apparently, I've been killing and gutting birds wrong this whole time. The guy who I talked to wasn't willing to sacrifice one of his chickens to give me a demonstration, so I intended to bring this guy along," she explained, holding up the duck higher.

"That's too cruel!" Kaya cried.

"Life generally is," she muttered dismissively. "Now would you let go?"

"No!"

She gave her a bemused look. "Are you kidding me—let go! Right now!"

Kaya shook her head. "No!"

The two girls went from working together to now wrestling on the floor. The pigtailed girl ended up releasing her hold of the duck, which took advantage of its renewed freedom by dashing back under the bed again. When she tried to grab for it, Kaya stopped her by tackling her down.

For someone so tiny, the girl was incredibly strong. Kaya struggled in keeping her down, but her efforts ended up being futile as she clung onto her waist and was being dragged along as the girl pushed forward. Meanwhile, the girl was trying to pry Kaya's fingers off of her, grousing about stupid rich people who knew nothing about empty stomachs.

Kaya felt hurt hearing that, but she nevertheless held on. At least she had _compassion_.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. The girls jolted in surprise before turning their heads to see Klahadore standing there.

"What is going on?" His voice was icy as he directed his glare onto the girl.

"Klahadore." Kaya released her hold and stood up. Nervous, her eyes flitted between the girl and her butler. He must have come here after hearing the ruckus they were making, and seeing them physically fighting likely gave him the wrong impression. Kaya licked her lips. "Klahadore, it's not what it looks like."

"Oh, I know what it looks like, my lady," he said, pushing up his glasses. "It looks like you have an intruder who is causing you trouble."

"Klahadore, please—"

"And to imagine that it would be the village outsider."

Said outsider narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything.

"Here to steal some valuables? Or perhaps take the young mistress as hostage?" The man gracefully strode forward. "Is hunting not paying the bills anymore?"

Kaya had seen Klahadore behaving protectively around her and she had also witnessed him saying subtly demeaning things. Usually, the two actions went hand in hand. Kaya knew that Klahadore responded according to her wellbeing, and yet, whether he said those things offhandedly or deliberately, she didn't like it. Fortunately, there weren't that many incidents that called for the man to act that way.

Unfortunately, however, he was acting that way right now and he was being unusually antagonistic.

Kaya felt mounting guilt as she helplessly watched Klahadore loom over the girl. True, the girl had been troubling her with her careless treatment of the duck, but Kaya was the one who instigated the fight. And the girl had certainly been uninterested in whatever items she had in her room. If anything, she just wanted to leave quietly and quickly after retrieving the bird.

"If you leave now and never return, I promise that I won't speak of your breaking and entering," Klahadore said. "I suggest you take up my offer. Your customers, otherwise, wouldn't be so willing to go to you again after hearing the danger that you've posed for Miss Kaya."

The girl scowled. "Fine," she spat. She brushed past Klahadore in her brisk pace and jumped out of the window.

Kaya, horrified, chased after her, but then saw that the girl climbed down the tree by the window and scurried away into the darkness.

"My lady, are you unharmed?"

"I…" She lingered a few moments, the cold air caressing her face. She pursed her lips and turned away. "I'm fine, Klahadore."

"I am relieved to hear that. I shall inform the guards of this event and the maids of the mud later in the morning. It's still quite late, so please get some sleep."

"I will."

"Also…" Klahadore walked over and closed the twin panes. He locked it with the latch. "I insist that you leave it closed. We wouldn't want to have any more trespassers, do we?"

"I—I suppose not."

"Well, then, I bid you a good night. Sweet dreams."

"Thank you."

After Klahadore left, Kaya heaved a sigh and dragged her feet to bed. She then paused when she noticed a small notebook on the floor. She bent down and picked it up. It was thick. When she opened it, she found dried plants and papers tucked inside between pages. On the pages were scrawls that filled them from top to bottom. The notebook had a leather covering that looked and felt weathered from use.

That girl must have dropped it when Kaya had tackled her. It seemed too important for it to be just left behind. Kaya wondered if there was a way for her to return it.

"Gwack gwack."

Waddling out from underneath her bed was the duck. Its tail wagged as it cautiously approached her. Kaya held very still until the duck curiously butted its beak against her leg before quacking again.

* * *

"Oh, you mean Adalina?"

"Adalina," Kaya mouthed the name. She then said, "If that's her name, then, yes, her."

"Well, I don't know any other young girl who wears a quiver and men's hand-me-downs, so I'm under the impression that it must be her." Merry finished pouring the tea and handed the cup to her. "Although, I find it quite surprising to hear that she would do something like that. I would assume that a girl of her character would wait until morning and approach the guards."

All the sooner to get her live meal back, Kaya thought a tad petulantly as she stroked Reginald's green head. Reginald, in response, fluffed his feathers and quacked happily. "You seem to know a lot about her, Merry. Have you met her?"

"No, but I have seen her from time to time. She runs an informal business of doing odd jobs and bringing in game for anyone who requests for her time."

"She hunts with a bow, I assume?"

"You would be correct, Miss Kaya."

"Ah." Kaya sipped her tea. "For someone so young to be so busy sure is something."

"She happens to be your age."

"She's fifteen? But she doesn't look like it," Kaya said, baffled.

Merry smiled sadly. "I believe she has grown up malnourished."

"She's poor?" she asked, remembering Adalina's appearance.

"I wouldn't say that. It seems more like…she's neglectful of herself."

"What makes you say that?"

"She makes decent money from her jobs and has a steady supply of food from her hunts, yet, despite all her resources, she doesn't eat."

"Could she be saving up for something?" Kaya wondered.

"Miss Kaya, tell me, why is it that you don't eat as often as you used to?"

She blinked. "Well, that's because…" The food didn't taste good anymore. She just didn't feel that hungry. All she did was lie in bed, so she didn't need to fuel herself. Being sick caused her loss in appetite.

Reginald butted his head against her chest. Kaya bit her lower lip.

Loneliness and sorrow already filled her stomach.

"So…she lost a loved one?" Kaya asked.

"Three. At a young age, Adalina lost her mother due to an illness. Two years later, she lost her brother who died from a fall. Three years later, she lost her guardian, Dr. Moors, to a stroke."

Goodness. "What about her father? Is he around?"

"When she was even younger, her father left the village to become a pirate." Merry placed a hand on her shoulder. "You two are more similar despite your statuses, I find."

Only they really weren't.

In her pursuit of fulfilling her curiosity, Kaya set out to pester the maids and servants in what they knew about their resident hunter. From what she gleaned from them, it seemed that Merry and a few others were the only ones who viewed Adalina in a sympathetic manner. Everyone else shared circumspect feelings regarding her.

Despite Adalina's regular errands in the village, the villagers didn't care to interact with her more than what was needed. Mothers viewed her to be a bad influence on the children, and fathers were concerned that if she weren't given requests for her hunt she would then fill her bloodthirst by targeting them.

Only some of the people deemed her to be that way while others thought of her as a reticent loner. They believed that she didn't care to establish bonds with others and would lash out if anyone bothered. The only person who successfully reached out to her was the good Dr. Rikki.

The worst that Kaya heard was the speculations that Adalina was the one responsible for her brother and Dr. Moors's deaths. Arrows had been found scattered around the area where her brother had died, so perhaps she had shot at him to cause him to fall. Dr. Moors's health had been deteriorating after he had taken in Adalina, so perhaps she had been poisoning him from the herbs she had found in the forest. Sooner or later, Dr. Rikki would experience the same fate.

Kaya wasn't sure what to believe after hearing that. Was Adalina really someone like that? Or were they false descriptions of her? There weren't that many who saw her positively—did that mean that Merry was incorrect? What the blonde was certain of, however, was that even though they had both lost loved ones, they couldn't be any more opposite of one another.

Kaya was sheltered while Adalina was independent. Kaya was adored while Adalina was avoided. Kaya had Merry, Klahadore, the maids, the servants, the chef, the guards, the gardener…while Adalina had just the doctor.

Kaya understood what Merry had been indicating, but she wasn't alone. She had people in this mansion who cared about her. She had been blind to recognize that before in her fog of depression, but, after hearing about Adalina's situation, she realized that she could have had it worse. She was so blessed being born who she was that she didn't want to take it for granted anymore.

She had to get better. She wouldn't be able to go anywhere or do anything if she kept moping in her room.

Kaya wasn't sure if Adalina was a good person or not. As she looked over at Reginald who peacefully napped on her bed, she wondered if the girl's rough treatment was just her hunter's nature. Nonetheless, she wanted to see her again. Despite their differences, Kaya wanted to know more about her—wanted to know the real her. She…wanted to have a friend.

Kaya placed the notebook on her desk and turned around the view her room. She would have to ask Merry or Klahadore if she could have her bed moved next to the window. It would do her some good to wake up to sunshine, after all.


	5. In the morning

**The Archer**

 **SUMMARY:** The father leaves to be a pirate. The mother withers away in bed. The brother is gone from a fall. All there is left is the solemn sister with her bow and arrows. AU where Usopp's twin sister is the Straw Hats sniper instead. SNIPPETS.

* * *

 **Chapter 5:** In the morning

* * *

"Do you hate your father?"

Adalina pulled her gaze away from the window to look at Kaya in surprise. "What brought this on?"

Kaya shrugged. "We were talking about Dr. Rikki soon becoming a father himself and I just thought about _your_ father, so…"

Adalina was currently sitting next to Kaya on her bed. It was at an hour where everyone should be asleep, yet two girls had roused themselves from slumber just so they could converse with one another. This had been their little ongoing secret for quite a while now.

Adalina would try to never stay around too long; otherwise, they might end up falling asleep during their talks, which had occurred once or twice. For those times had been close calls because Klahadore had been making his rounds in the mansion; she had to be extra careful not to cross his path in her escape.

Of course, since Adalina was here, Reginald had already made his hasty retreat under Kaya's bed. Even after two years, the bird still remembered his near killer.

Adalina frowned. "I used to… He's been absent for most of my life—willingly, at that. I hated him because I thought he prioritized being a pirate over being with his family, but I don't care anymore."

"You don't?"

"It's too much emotional effort to be bothered about it now. It's been nearly ten years since his departure and I've managed fine this far without him," she said. "Also, I don't even know if he's still alive out there or rotting at the bottom of the sea. There's no point in spiting a possibly dead man."

Kaya went silent for a moment before speaking again. "I suppose that's true. The newspapers did mention the Red Hair Pirates and their captain, but nothing specifically about your father."

Adalina wouldn't know. She purposefully avoided reading the newspapers.

"Does that mean you don't hate pirates?" Kaya inquired.

"I never really cared about them."

"I thought that you did because of your father," the blonde admitted. She hugged her pillow to her chest. "I made sure to avoid talking about them in the past because of that."

"You're implying that you wanted to talk about them." Adalina poked Kaya in the side, causing the other girl to squeal and shove her shoulder in jest. "Why the interest?"

"I've been jealous of the freedom that pirates have. I'm confined indoors all day and every day, after all."

"Well, they're free until they get caught by the Marines."

"True, but you get my point."

Adalina did. Even though Kaya did show signs of recovery, she remained sickly enough that Klahadore saw to it that she wouldn't step one foot away from the mansion. Adalina personally believed that fresh air would do her some good, but Klahadore apparently thought differently, according to Kaya. The abrupt shift in air quality might be too much for her body and send her compulsions. It was admirable of how protective the butler was of his mistress, but his attention was clearly stifling.

Gaston had attempted to help, but he had difficulty determining what caused the symptoms. Nevertheless, he had handed Kaya tablets that would boost her immune system and give her more energy.

Adalina was sometimes reminded of her mother whenever she looked at Kaya. Kaya, despite her condition, was able to smile and laugh and keep up in good spirits just like how Banchina had been able to until her final moments. Although, unlike her mother, Kaya hadn't died within months since acquiring her illness, which happened after her parents' deaths.

Adalina wondered what this meant. Kaya's constitution was weak, but she didn't seem to be dying any time soon. Perhaps it was just that? The blonde was just physically weaker than the average person? Light exercise might fix that problem, but, again, there was Klahadore's overprotectiveness getting in the way.

"Did you ever want to be a pirate?" Adalina asked.

"Goodness, no," Kaya laughed. "While I do see the appeal of adventuring without care, I don't think I have the right mindset when it comes to fighting and plundering."

"I do have a hard time seeing you as one."

"What about you?"

"Me as a pirate?" At Kaya's nod, Adalina rolled her eyes. "No way. I'm not up for that."

"But didn't you tell me that your dream was to leave the village?"

"Yeah, but it's not a realistic dream. I don't see how I'll get away or how I'll survive out there."

"You could always try to get recruited by the Marines. I mean, if they ever come by. They did twenty years ago, I think."

The idea of a pirate's daughter becoming an officer of justice made Adalina snort. "I could do that."

"And you're already so good at following orders. You're never without any customers."

She wasn't sure if her customers' loyalty really indicated that. "I guess so."

"You're a great shooter, you're hardworking, you're strong…" Kaya trailed off her list when she scrutinized the girl next to her. "You're still bony, though. You should eat more meat."

Adalina almost barked out in laughter. "Look who's talking!"

"Shh!" Kaya reprimanded, but her widening smile gave away her own matching amusement. "You don't want to send Klahadore flying up here."

"Then don't make me laugh."

"I wasn't trying to!"

Their night resumed peacefully with the two friends enjoying each other's company that no one but themselves knew about.

* * *

Ever since the older kids from school had told them about Ada the Witch, Ninjin, Piman, and Tamanegi had kept their eyes peeled for the girl. They had been skeptical at first, not quite believing that there was someone in the village capable of casting spells and sending people to their doom. Yet, the more they had listened to the passing stories, they more their doubt had wavered.

Piman had proposed that they simply keep track of the girl in case she did any suspicious activity. Ninjin had reluctantly agreed, but Tamanegi had countered that, if Ada was indeed a murdering sorceress, it would be safer not to get involved. After all, what if she caught notice of them and killed them on the spot?

The three boys had discussed the matter until they had finally decided to make observations from afar. Thus, the Witch Surveillance Squad had been born.

Currently, they were discretely following Ada as she made her way back from the docks. She walked along the sandy shore, carrying her fishing pole and bucket in each hand. Occasionally, she would sigh and look over her shoulder. This would startle the boys into action, sending them hiding behind rocks. Since she hadn't called them out, they must be excellent at being inconspicuous. Good thing too since their lives were on the line.

As they trailed behind her, they took notice of two small ships moored on land. Tamanegi gasped at the sight of the flag of one of the ships and visibly paled.

"What's wrong?" Ninjin asked.

"Th-that's the Jolly Roger of the B-Buggy Pirates!" the bespectacled boy whispered frantically. Piman and Ninjin traded looks before directing their attention to the flag. Printed on the black fabric was a grinning skull with a large red nose—it was indeed a flag belonging to the notorious Buggy Pirates.

If that wasn't surprising enough, what came next was an even bigger shock. Disembarking the ships were three people: A woman with orange hair, a man with three swords, and a boy donning a straw hat. The straw hat kid _grinned_ and bounced over to Ada.

The Witch Surveillance Squad gawked. Aside from the village's only doctor, never had they witnessed someone affably interact with Ada before.

They appeared to be talking. Ada settled her fishing pole against her shoulder to free her hand to make a gesture towards the trees. The straw hat kid loudly thanked her. Ada nodded and went on her way.

"That's obviously suspicious," Ninjin said, sinking back to his crouch. "It's suspicious, right?"

"Does that mean she's affiliated with pirates?" Tamanegi wondered nervously.

"You remember what the upperclassmen said: Ada the Witch is the daughter of a pirate," Piman said. "Her dad must have struck a deal with Buggy to come pick her up!"

"For her to join her dad in piracy, I bet."

"Maybe they're here to make plans with her."

"They probably want to talk about how they could steal from the villagers."

"Or worse—slaughter them!"

Ninjin chewed on his lower lip. "Would she really do something like that?"

"She already killed her own brother and a doctor. She must have been waiting years for her to be able to scheme up a big one to kill everyone else."

"What are you guys doing?" The three boys yelped when they saw the straw hat kid curiously peering over at their huddled forms. They fell on their bottoms and quickly scrambled backwards to put distance between them and him.

"P-p-p-pirate!" Tamanegi squeaked.

"Shishishi! You got that right." He placed his hands on his hips and gave them a bright beam. "You interested in becoming one yourselves?"

"No!" they cried out in unison.

"No? Then what are you doing spying on us?"

"We weren't spying on _you_ ," Piman sputtered. "We were spying on Ada!"

The straw hat kid tilted his head in confusion. "Who?"

"Th-the girl in the pigtails. You know, the you just talked to a minute ago."

"Her name is Ada?"

The boys stared at the pirate apprehensively. Were the Buggy Pirates not informed of Ada's name? Was that why this guy was acting clueless?

Looking at him up close now, he didn't appear dangerous whatsoever. He actually looked like any other regular goofy teen, especially with his carefree smile and cheerful demeanor; it was a bit strange to see him as a pirate because of that. But the boys knew that looks could be deceiving; after all, there was Ada.

"Luffy, what are you doing over there?" The woman marched over to him in exasperation, and the swordsman trailed after her idly. The boys tensed up. Now these were the kind of pirates who were worth being afraid of.

The straw hat kid—Luffy—ignored her and asked them, "Why were you spying on her?"

"Don't act like you don't know!" Piman forced himself to stand despite his wobbly knees. He swallowed heavily and carried on bravely, "W-we're on to you!"

"Yeah!" Ninjin piped up. "We know that you know Ada the Witch!"

Luffy's eyes widened. "She's a witch? Like, she can fly on a broom and do spells?"

They hesitated. "Well, no," Tamanegi answered. "We don't really know if she's a witch for sure… But there are rumors about her like how she killed people close to her."

"What? Why would she do that? That's dumb."

"They say it's because she's cursed," Ninjin explained. "Cursed as in she can't help that she wants people around her to die."

"Sounds like a psychopath than a cursed person to me," the swordsman commented.

"Are you saying that she committed murder?" Luffy asked.

Not quite knowing how to answer that, Piman and Ninjin turned to the most informed member of their Witch Surveillance Squad. Tamanegi wrung his hands timidly at the attention. "Um. Yes and no. People say that Ada's curse caused her mom to fall ill and die from it. From there, she became kind of crazy. A few years later, her brother was climbing a tree and Ada shot arrows at him to get him to fall. He died from a broken neck. Another few years passed by and her guardian died from a stroke because she poisoned him. To sate her bloodthirst, people made requests whenever she would go out to hunt."

"Which isn't too bad since Mom can make great rabbit stew, then," Piman admitted.

"The older kids from our school even made a song about her," Ninjin said. "It's to remind us why we should avoid her at all costs!"

Together, the boys took in a deep breath and sang:

" _Wherever she goes_ ,

" _Whoever she's with_ ,

" _Beware of her curse_ ,

" _She's Ada the Witch_!"


	6. I rise to see

**The Archer**

 **SUMMARY:** The father leaves to be a pirate. The mother withers away in bed. The brother is gone from a fall. All there is left is the solemn sister with her bow and arrows. AU where Usopp's twin sister is the Straw Hats sniper instead. SNIPPETS.

* * *

 **Chapter 6:** I rise to see

* * *

What a weirdo, Adalina thought when she mulled over today's events. Some guy had approached her and declared himself to be a pirate captain looking for a proper ship. She hadn't been sure whether to take him seriously or not. He hadn't looked like someone who could be a felon, and the flag on one of his friend's ship looked too ridiculous to be pirate-material. Unless the concept of their crew was clowns, she figured that they were just messing around.

She wondered if the three brats who had been tailing her had jumped at the opportunity to interrogate the self-proclaimed captain and his friends. She couldn't pinpoint when they started stalking her, but she did know that they had been at it for quite a while. Since they didn't interfere with her routine, she didn't really care what they did. Although, it did become a bit of a nuisance at times.

At her house, Adalina finished putting away the last of her caught fish and rinsed off the bucket. Afterwards, she gathered some herbs and bundled them together with a string. Gaston had asked for her to drop by with a batch since he would be too busy catering to his patients.

She was happy for him that he was a fully established doctor who could aid anyone in need, but she was a little disappointed by how packed his schedule was. She admittedly wasn't all too ecstatic with his wife hogging all his attention.

It wasn't that she had anything against Cecelia, but she did have a problem with Cecelia having a problem with her. It just seemed that whenever they happen to be in the same room, things become awkward. Adalina didn't know whether it was because the woman was wary of her or flat-out disliked her, but she tried not to take it personally.

If Cecelia was the one woman who Gaston wanted to spend the rest of his life with, then she must be a good person. Adalina trusted her friend's judgement, after all. She just hoped that Cecelia would end up trusting him in turn.

Adalina stuffed the herbs in her backpack and headed out.

* * *

After Nami had scared away the boys, the three pirates decided to venture into the village. To their luck, they managed to find a small family-style restaurant that could fit within their budget. Of course, Nami had to restrain Luffy to make sure he didn't order too much.

"So what you guys think?"

Nami and Zoro looked at Luffy in confusion. "What do we think about what?" Zoro asked.

"About Ada the Witch!" Luffy said enthusiastically. "Those kids said that she uses a bow, right? I think she'd make a great sniper for our crew!"

"Are you nuts?" Nami scolded. "You clearly didn't hear everything else that they said!"

"What they say?"

"Luffy!"

"She's talking about Ada killing people," Zoro said.

"Oh, that." Luffy picked his ear with his pinky. "Those are just rumors, aren't they?"

"That doesn't mean that she wasn't involved," Nami huffed, crossing her arms. "Rumors hold even an ounce of truth, you know."

"I don't buy it. I mean, she doesn't look like someone who would murder."

"Same here," Zoro said. "Someone as shrimpy as her? Doubtful that she's even capable of something like that."

Nami palmed her face. "Ugh. You guys…"

"But I do see that she's a well-practiced archer."

"Oh? How'd you know, Zoro?" Luffy asked.

"She had calluses on her hands. The muscles on her arms were defined. She must've been clumsy when she first started, though, since there were old lacerations on her skin."

"The fact that you noticed these things after our brief meeting with her is a bit creepy," Nami commented.

Zoro scowled. "Lay off. I'm a swordsman, so I gotta be observant. Besides, I got the same calluses and cuts too."

"And Zoro's gonna be the greatest swordsman, so that means that Ada is gonna be the greatest sniper! We should definitely get her on board!" Luffy exclaimed.

"How—that doesn't even make sense!"

"Um, excuse me…" The waiter arrived with their food. Luffy cheered and grabbed his plate before promptly devouring the food. Nami rolled her eyes but didn't comment. After the meals were distributed, Zoro and Nami began to eat as well. However, as they did, the waiter had yet to depart.

"I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you, but…I couldn't help but overhear that you were talking about Ada…?" the he nervously said.

Luffy perked up. "Ya know Ada?" he asked around a mouthful of food. He swallowed and asked, "Could you tell us about her?"

The waiter stared at him blankly. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"Nope! We're totally new to this island."

"I see…" The young man furrowed his brows and glanced over his shoulder. "I guess, since we're not busy at the moment, I can tell you what I know."

"Awesome! Hey, what's your name? I'm Luffy."

"Marlo."

"So, Marlo, what can you tell us?"

"Well, I've been Ada's classmate since primary school—"

"Wait, you and she are students?" Nami interjected.

"Um, yes."

"As in, you two currently attend school, correct?"

"Yes…?"

"People still do that?" Zoro muttered to himself, genuinely befuddled.

"It's not a bad thing just because Ada's going to school and we never been to one," Luffy said.

"That's not the point! And _excuse you_ —I happen to be well-educated," Nami snapped. "Anyways, the point is that it's weird to think that a supposed murderer is going to a school. Unless she's a truant, that is."

"Actually, she comes to class everyday and turns in every assignment," Marlo said, unknowingly stumping Nami. "I think she does average, but I'm not sure. A friend of mine pointed out that she gets poor scores on tests. If that's the case, then it might be because she doesn't have time to study properly." He shrugged. "She's usually seen doing odd jobs after school."

"She sounds more like a model citizen than a cursed witch," Nami scoffed.

"Yeah, about that… Um, I guess it started when we were eight. Ada and Usopp's mom died and—"

"Usopp?" Luffy parroted.

"He was Ada's twin brother—"

"Is their dad Yasopp?"

"Huh?" Marlo blinked. "I-I don't know… I just know that their dad left to become a pirate."

"That's Yasopp!" Luffy looked like he was about to jump to the ceiling in his excitement. "That means that Ada is actually Adalina!"

"Wait, how do you know—"

"Yasopp came to my village with Shanks and the others. I was seven at the time." Luffy grinned. "Man, he would talk hours about his kids—so much that it felt like I already met them!"

"Technically, you have with at least one of them," Zoro snorted.

"Ada looks nothing like her dad, though. Does that mean she looks like her mom? I bet Usopp looks exactly like Yasopp!"

"Um, he used to," Marlo quietly commented.

"Used to? What happened to him? Did he get surgery or something?"

"Luffy, remember what the glasses kid said," Nami sighed.

Luffy paused and looked down at his empty plate. He frowned. "No, I don't believe it," he said.

"About what? About this Usopp guy not being dead?"

"About Ada being her brother's killer. I don't believe it." He shook his head. "If she's really Yasopp's daughter, then she wouldn't do something like that."

Nami might not have known Luffy for long, but she did know that he would remain steadfast on his opinion no matter what others would say. Perhaps Yasopp had been such a remarkable person when Luffy had met him, which was why he unshakingly believed in the pigtailed girl's innocence. Nami, however, had enough sense to know that just because one man was great didn't guarantee that the child would be as well.

"So what about their mother dying?" Zoro asked Marlo, steering them back to the original topic.

"Oh, um. Well, Usopp started telling lies about pirates coming to the village and about how he was going to become a pirate captain. He kept telling other made-up stories too, and, ultimately, the other kids started to dislike him because he was a liar."

"I'm guessing they disliked Ada in turn, then."

Marlo nodded. "Usopp would get into fights if someone mocked their dad. He got teased and bullied for all that, but Ada was generally avoided since she didn't cause trouble for anyone."

"So what's this about her killing Usopp?" Zoro asked.

"Um. On the day he died, the adults found arrows around the area and a few stuck on the tree that he was supposedly climbing on. I've heard all kinds of versions to this story, so I'm not sure which one is true, but the one that was reported says that she tried to save him."

"See!" Luffy exclaimed. "Ada isn't a killer."

"That doesn't make sense," Nami refuted. "How could she have tried to save him when shooting him?"

"She could have tried to pin his clothes to the tree," Zoro suggested.

"Marlo, what do you think? You went to school with her, after all," Luffy said. "Does she seem like the kind of person to shoot someone?"

"I don't know her that well, though," Marlo said awkwardly. "I just know that she's busy, quiet, and a loner. The only person who knows her personally is Dr. Rikki."

"Then we'll ask him!"

"Luffy, don't forget why we're here," Nami yelled at him.

"Yeah, but getting to understand our nakama is more important!"

"You didn't ask her to join yet!"

"Does everyone here believe the rumors?" Zoro asked.

"The younger kids definitely do. I know my classmates think of her as a weirdo, but probably not a killer even though they were the ones who started the speculations. As for the adults, I'm not sure. I've heard that because most of them had grown up with her dad that they're kind of expecting her to become a troublemaker, but I have a feeling that most of them don't really see her as someone dangerous."

"The kids we talked to said that the adults keep hiring her to hunt just to keep her bloodthirst at bay," Zoro said.

"It probably was true in the beginning. I remember hearing my parents talk about that at the dinner table," Marlo said. "But that's not the case anymore, I think. Only few adults here just might be paranoid enough to actually believe that." He gestured behind him. "The chef here seems to like her enough."

"I guess that clarifies things," Nami sighed. Even so, she would remain vigilant enough for both Luffy and Zoro. It wouldn't do them well if they underestimated Ada no matter how complicated her history was or how unassuming she appeared. Or the fact that she was a dutiful student.

"Then it's settled! We're gonna recruit Ada!" Luffy jumped onto his feet. "I just know that she's gonna make an awesome addition to the crew!"

"Um, if I may ask, are you guys pirates, by any chance?" Marlo inquired.

"You bet! I'm gonna be the Pirate King."

"Um, okay… Why do you want Ada?"

"She's an archer, isn't she? I'm gonna need a sniper in order to make a proper crew. I already got a swordsman and a navigator."

Sensing that Luffy wasn't going to answer clearly as to why he wanted _Ada_ in particular, Marlo dropped the subject. "I see. Then if you're done eating, I can take your plates."

"Sure. By the way, do you know where this doctor's place is?"

"Ahem," Nami coughed into her fist.

"And where we can get a ship?"


	7. A glowing star

**A/N:** This was supposed to be a serious story. I guess with One Piece, you inevitably make things comical. Also, Luffy was inspired by this annoyingly pushy guy I got to know recently.

* * *

 **Chapter 7:** A glowing star

* * *

"Ada, thanks for dropping by!"

"Sure thing," Adalina said, setting down the bundle of herbs on the table. She moved in front of Gaston to relieve him of the files that weighed heavily on his arms.

"Thanks," he said, grinning. "I don't suppose that you won't mind helping me organize those...?"

She shrugged. "Don't I always?"

"I figured that you'd have something to do like entertaining those kids."

"Is that what it looks like?" Adalina sighed. She opened the cabinets with her toe and proceeded sorting. "They're just watching me in case I do anything witchy."

"Why don't you just clarify things with them?"

"Because they'll just run away. Honestly, Gaston, we've been over this."

"Technically, what we discussed were our disagreements in how you could always clear the air with those who don't understand you."

"Yeah, if it's only that easy."

"It is! _Honestly_ , Ada, we've been over this," Gaston said, throwing her words back at her. "All it takes is a bright smile and a friendly attitude." He demonstrated by displaying his own smile and deepening dimples. Despite the bothersome conversation that they were having again, Adalina couldn't help but be endeared by him. She involuntarily smiled.

"It would only give people all the more reason to suspect me if I act out of the ordinary," she retorted.

"Not unless you keep it up!"

Easy, he had said. Yeah, easy for _him_. Adalina didn't have it in her to express perpetual joy—that was something that only happy people could do. Adalina wasn't unhappy, per se, but it was certainly out of her realm of abilities to maintain a cheerful persona without fully exhausting herself.

Gaston had given her tips on how to befriend others or get people to see her as someone approachable. Laugh more. Smile more. Strike up conversations with anyone willing to spend five minutes. But Adalina didn't want to do any of those things; doing anything like that would just put her outside of her comfort zone. She had long become accustomed to her solitude that allowing anyone else to witness her laughter and smiles would almost feel like a violation.

Gaston had been there for her for years, and he had been the one to welcome her with his warmth and kindness. While her infatuation for him had subsided, especially now that he was a married man, Gaston still held a special place in her heart. Even Kaya, who she had recently began to regularly converse with, was someone who she was growing a fondness of.

Adalina wasn't willing to act as someone she wasn't just to get others to like her. After all, if people preferred the smiley Adalina, then they wouldn't like the real Adalina. She understood that Gaston had good intentions when he had tried to suggest her ways of opening up to others, but it just wasn't going to happen.

She rolled her eyes at him and continued to sort the files.

"One day, you're going to see what I mean, Ada," Gaston said, heaving out a breath. "I mean, isn't it lonely to continue on like this?"

"I'm not lonely. I have you."

"It's not in a human's nature to only have one friend."

"Then maybe I'm not wholly human," she replied. "Maybe I really am a witch."

"Don't be silly. You're too cute to be one," he chuckled.

Adalina blushed. "Stupid," she muttered.

Gaston no longer had that fringe that fell over his forehead, but instead his copper locks were slicked backwards. He looked mature compared to his previous boyish appearance. Nevertheless, he never lost that youthful charm that Cecelia no doubt had fallen for. Gaston was the cute one, Adalina privately thought.

* * *

According to Marlo, Kaya was the richest person in the village. With her wealth, they could perhaps acquire a ship from her.

After finishing their meals, Luffy, Nami, and Zoro set off to find the only mansion on a hill. It wasn't difficult to do so since the surrounding buildings consisted only of small houses and shops. While getting there wasn't a challenge, getting inside would be. Given that there were two guards standing alertly with each one beside a towering gate, it didn't seem like they would be granted a simple entry.

Hiding behind a tree away from the guards' attentive gazes, the three pirates ruminated as to what they should do. Of course, it didn't take long when Luffy decided to launch himself over the fence, dragging Zoro and Nami with him.

When they crashed onto the ground, Nami swung a fist at Luffy's head. "Are you crazy?" she snapped.

"He got us here, didn't he?" Zoro pulled himself out of the dogpile and stood up. He did a cursory survey of their location. "Although, I doubt we're going to get the owner's attention just barging in like this."

Contrary to Zoro's words, the window above them opened. Peeking outside was a young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair. She gave a startled gasp when her eyes landed on them and backed away.

Luffy, never one to hesitate, threw a stretchy arm onto the branch of the tree next to the window, and then slingshotted himself on top of the branch.

The girl shrieked in alarm. "Wh-who are you?" she cried.

"Luffy, don't scare her!" Nami yelled at him from below.

"Sorry about that," Luffy said, although he didn't look at all apologetic. "You're Kaya, right? We're here to make a request!"

But the girl didn't pay heed to his words. Instead, she continued to stare at him in horror. "How—how was your arm able to do that?"

"Hm? You mean this?" Luffy pinched the skin of his arm and tugged it upwards. Kaya shrieked again when his skin extended longer than what was considered natural. He then hooked a finger at a corner of his mouth and tugged downwards, revealing his gums.

"How is that possible!"

"I ate the Gum Gum Fruit," he said. He released his mouth and it snapped back into place. "Because of that, I became a rubber man!"

"Gum Gum Fruit…?"

"Yeah! It was really nasty when I bit into it, but I got these cool powers, at least."

"I…" Kaya's eyes batted multiple times as though to blink away the delusion before her. When it was settled that this was all very real, her legs gave in and she dropped onto her bed. "Unbelievable…"

"You doing okay? You don't look so good."

"Oi! Luffy! You done frightening her?" Zoro hollered at him.

"I wasn't doing that! I was just showing her what I can do!"

"You better not be messing around, Luffy!" Nami snapped.

Luffy pouted and returned his attention to the girl. "Anyways, can we get that ship, please?"

"Ship? Why do you want a ship?" Kaya asked breathlessly.

"Every pirate needs a ship! So far, all I have is a tiny boat, but it's not proper for a pirate captain to go sailing on that!" Luffy beamed at her.

Her timorous demeanor was replaced with a faintly curious one. "Pirates? You and your friends are pirates?"

"Yup! I'm Luffy and I'm gonna be the Pirate King! Down there are Zoro, my swordsman, and Nami, my navigator. After we get our ship, we're gonna get Ada to become our sniper."

Kaya perked up. "Ada? You want to recruit Adalina-san to be a part of your crew?"

"Shishishi! You betcha! I just know that she's gonna make a great addition to the team."

"So you've met Adalina-san?"

"She was the first person we met when we came to this island. I didn't know who she was until these kids told us about her."

"Oh… You don't mean how they addressed her by that awful epithet…?"

"Ya mean how she's Ada the Witch? It's a pretty cool name, although I think the rumors about her are lame. Even Marlo said so." Luffy crossed his arms and grinned. "But once we start sailing, that won't matter anymore! She can come up with her own name."

"But why do you want Adalina-san of all people?"

Luffy tilted his head. "Marlo asked the same thing. You people sure think alike, don't you?"

Kaya grimaced. "That's not true at all! I know that Adalina-san isn't the terrible person that the villagers think of her as. I actually got to know her, and I know that she's a lonely person with struggles. Not everyone knows what it's like to have your family taken away from you and figure out how to live independently on your own," she said.

While Luffy and Zoro's attention was focused on the soft-spoken yet persistent blonde, they didn't see Nami's clouded expression. It wasn't as if she had forgotten about Adalina's past, but she had been so caught up on the girl's supposed murders and curse that she had neglected to acknowledge the human part of archer as well. After hearing Kaya's words, painful memories resurfaced before Nami could smother them.

She clenched her fists. Perhaps there really was nothing for the redhead to be worried about. Perhaps Luffy and Zoro were correct in their assumption that the rumors were false—that they were only hyperbolic tales made to compensate for the lack of excitement in this quaint hamlet. Nami had traveled to places similar to this one, so she should have had known.

Meanwhile, Zoro observed Kaya with a raised eyebrow. "For someone locked away in her tower, it's strange how you got to be familiar with the village's resident black sheep."

"Th-that's because—!" Kaya's stutter was cut off when a blur of brown and green appeared next to Kaya on the bed.

"Gwack gwack!"

"Hey, it's a duck!" Luffy laughed. "Are you saving it for dinner? If not, can I have it?"

As if sensing a predator, the duck quacked again and flapped its wings frantically. Kaya hugged the bird to her bosom and cradled it as though it was a crying baby. She fixed him a weak glare. "Of course not! I would never allow someone to hurt Reginald."

Luffy deflated in disappointment. "Aw man."

"And you haven't answered my question. Why do you want Adalina-san?"

"I didn't mention it? It's because I think she's going to be a great sniper for my crew!"

Kaya hugged the duck tighter. "But what if she says no? Are you going to force her to go?"

"He can be annoyingly convincing when he wants to be," Zoro said.

"If Ada really doesn't want to join, then I won't make her," Luffy said, "but I think she'll want to."

"I don't think she will," Kaya interjected. "I've known her longer than you have, and I know she will refuse. She hates pirates."

Luffy looked shocked. "She hates pirates? But why?"

"Her father abandoned her to become one."

For the first time, Luffy's face contorted into that of irritation. "Hey, don't talk that way about Yasopp!" he growled. He bent his knees and leapt, crossing over the distance that separated him and the girl. Now, he was leaning in her space. Reginald trembled in Kaya's arms, quacking nervously.

"Luffy!" Nami cried out in alarm.

"It wasn't as if Yasopp wanted to leave his family, but the sea called out to him," Luffy said. "When that happens, a man has to obey and fulfill his dreams. That's why Yasopp became a pirate."

Kaya stared at him, cowed, but she managed to get a hold of herself. She shook her head vigorously and frowned back at him. "Family is more important than any dream," she told him determinedly. "When you're a father, you cannot discard your responsibilities for your own selfish desires."

Something in Nami's chest squeezed.

"There's something else bothering her, it seems like," Nami heard Zoro mutter.

She looked at him confusedly. What did he mean?

Kaya pushed herself upright onto her feet and drew her shoulders back. She released Reginald, who quickly scurried underneath her bed. "I do believe you have overstayed your welcome," she stiffly told Luffy.

Luffy's stern expression evaporated. "Oh. So, can we get that ship?"

"No!"

"Whatever it is that you wish to request from the young mistress, I guarantee it that you won't be given it." Everyone turned to see who the newcomer was. A tall and slender man with an air of austerity narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. Despite his refined disposition, there was something strong about him. "I suggest that you step away from my lady before I make you."

"Klahadore," Kaya murmured in relief.

"But there's no one else who can give us a ship here," Luffy complained.

"There is no one who would think of wanting to give anything to intruders," the man remarked, pushing his glasses upwards with his palm. "Now. _Leave_."

"C'mon, Luffy," Zoro called out. "There's no point in staying here."

"Geez." Nevertheless, Luffy jumped back to the tree and slid down the trunk. "That's disappointing."

"It wouldn't be if you hadn't antagonized her," Nami chided.

Luffy pouted. "I didn't! She was the one who started it."

"Don't be childish!"

"You three!" The pirates lifted their heads. Kaya inclined half of her body over her window, her hands gripping the sill. "Don't you think of bothering Adalina-san! Her life is difficult enough as it is!"

"We're gonna do it anyways, so suck on that!" Luffy stuck out his tongue. Nami slapped her forehead.

Zoro rolled his eyes. "We should get going now," he said, casually gesturing at the bespectacled man. "It'd be more of a nuisance if we engage in a fight."

"Fine. But we're gonna talk to Ada!" Luffy shouted the last part to Kaya.

"Don't you dare!"

"We're gonna totally dare!"

"Luffy," Nami said through gritted teeth, "shut up!"

* * *

"Why're you so obsessed in having her as your friend?" Nami asked. It couldn't just be because he wanted a sniper. The captain was strangely fixated on the archer, which puzzled Nami. Sure, Luffy had pursued her to become his navigator, but that was after they to know each other. Luffy barely held one decent conversation with Ada, and yet he was so set on her.

"Maybe he likes girls with pigtails," Zoro commented.

Nami paused. "Love at first sight?" she gasped. "But he's too stupid for romance!" Or maybe he was stupid _enough_ for romance?

Luffy didn't hear their exchange. He was focused on making his way towards the doctor's clinic to mind his crew's words. As they neared the place, Luffy abruptly stopped his steps. Nami nearly crashed into his back. Just when she was about to ask what the hold was up about, he broke into a sprint.

"L-Luffy?"

"I guess he spotted Ada," Zoro noted, peering over at the distance.

Nami's jaw dropped. "Holy cow, you might be right."

"I am. She's right over there."

"No, I mean about Luffy crushing on her!"

He gave her a look. "I was just joking about that, you know."

"Yeah, well, your joke turned out to be accurate," Nami huffed. "Have you ever seen Luffy react this way with any other girl?"

"Definitely not with you."

A minute later, Nami was exasperatedly marching towards the clinic, leaving behind a keeling Zoro.

In that duration, Luffy's legs were eating up the yards that separated him and Ada. His grin stretched from ear to ear as he closed in on her.

"Adaaa!" His voice reverberated across the rolling green hills. Ada jolted in surprise and directed her attention towards the source of the call. She reacted too late as Luffy jumped at her, coiling his arms around her figure and sending them skidding onto the ground. "I found you! I found you! I found—"

He stilled.

"Why do you smell like old people?"

Ada responded by punching him on the chin.

* * *

After managing to extract the boy off of her, Adalina picked herself up and ran. Unfortunately, the weirdo was determined to follow her as he kept up only a few steps behind.

"Leave me alone!" she demanded.

"I just wanna talk!"

But she didn't want to talk to someone who learned her name only after a few hours since their initial meeting and tackled her into a suffocating hug. She hadn't minded the self-proclaimed pirate too much when they first met, but now… He was strange—too strange for her liking. Adalina didn't want to deal with him.

While Adalina was a practiced runner, having extensive experience in chasing down game and avoiding prowling wolves, she wasn't able to outrun the boy with the straw hat. She gaped when he surpassed her and stumbled over her feet. She tripped and reflexively grabbed his vest, bringing him down with her.

Once again, they fell with their limbs tangled and their clothes dirtied.

Adalina tried to push herself up, but a hand locked onto her wrist kept her down. She tugged at it, but the grip wouldn't loosen.

"Don't run away!" the boy cried.

"What do you want from me?" she grunted, kneeing him in the chest to keep him away. He wasn't affected by that.

"Like I said, I wanna talk."

Adalina inwardly debated on what to do, and then settled for hearing him out. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner he would leave her alone, right? "What is it?" she sighed, dropping her captive arm.

He smiled brightly. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy and I want you, Ada, to join my crew!"


	8. Above the seas

**Chapter 8:** Above the seas

* * *

"I'm telling you—no!"

"But whyyy?" Luffy whined.

"Because I don't want to become a pirate," Adalina snapped. "I'm not interested, so leave me alone!"

Ever since hearing her first refusal, Luffy had been trailing after her in his persistence in recruiting her. Needless to say, Adalina was thoroughly fed up with him. Yet, as much as she wanted to make another dash for it, Luffy's fingers were tightly secured around her wrist. She couldn't dislodge his grip no matter what she tried.

She had tried twisting her wrist, but he had expertly followed the movement. She had tried throwing her arm, but his hold had remained steadfast. She had tried pulling away from him, but his arm—bizarrely, freakishly—had _stretched_.

He had eaten the Gum Gum Fruit, he had claimed. He was a rubber person. He had powers unnatural to mankind.

Despite the bewildering discovery, Adalina hadn't been deterred in her attempt of breaking free from the weirdo. Her list of reasons why she didn't want to bother socializing with others was growing and growing the longer she was exposed to Luffy's company, which prompted her to reiterate her argument to him.

"That's not a good reason," Luffy insisted. He frowned. "I don't even know why you don't want to leave. The sea is full of adventure and fun and opportunities! Don't you wanna experience it all?"

"The sea is also full of dangerous pirates and creatures. Not to mention that, if you're a pirate, you'll get caught by the Marines and bounty hunters," she countered. "Why would I want to experience anything like that?"

"But if you're strong, you can defeat anyone and everyone! That's not a problem," he dismissed.

Adalina gritted her teeth. "People do not become strong overnight, you know."

"Duh. That's what's training's for."

"So you're going to train out in the sea? While there are opponents out there who could take you on _while_ you're training? How are you going to handle a situation like that?"

"Um." Luffy scratched his head. "What was the first question?"

Pissed, Adalina stamped her foot numerous times. She didn't care how childish this looked—she was so frustrated that she needed a physical outlet. "Just let me go!"

"But if I do, you'll run away!"

"Only because you haven't been listening to me!"

"Well, you haven't been listening to _me_!"

In school, Adalina had interacted with boys who had jeered at her, had picked on her, and had avoided her. Nowadays, as they had grown older, these boys had mainly ignored her existence. Adalina wasn't familiar receiving any other treatment from guys her age aside from what she had experienced in school, so she was largely unprepared for this encounter with Luffy.

She had never known someone so headstrong, so difficult, and so troublesome in her life until now. She also had never known someone who she felt compelled to throttle, and the reason wasn't only because he was annoying. No, the other reason that he wanted her because she was Yasopp's daughter.

To think that she was relieved of that man when she had decided to move on, only to be haunted by his absence again.

"I tell you that I have a life here, yet you say I can make a new one in the sea. I tell you that I'm satisfied being here, yet you say I can be happier in the sea. I tell you that I don't want to live as a pirate, yet you say that I'd want to if I travel in the sea." Adalina stamped her foot again. "You tell me that I should drop everything I have here to live in the sea, yet I say that not everything can be done _in the sea_!"

"Why do you hate going out to the sea so much?" Luffy asked, perplexed.

"It's not that I hate it, but it's more like I don't want to journey with _you_."

"But you'll never know unless you try!"

After being stuck with him for ten minutes, Adalina finally understood that his brain wouldn't register her words no matter what. It was as if there was something deflecting them, and his ears only picked up on things that he wanted to hear. She didn't know whether it was because he was acting this way deliberately or because he was genuinely this obtuse.

She felt baffled by him. This guy was just too much. She also had never raised her voice at someone—not since Usopp.

The urge to hurt him returned.

"Stop!"

Adalina stiffened before slowly turning around. Standing before them with buckling knees and hunched shoulders were those three boys who regularly stalked her. She stifled a groan.

"E-even though you're a p-p-pirate, it's our job to protect those who're in danger of Ada the Witch!" one of them declared, thrusting a finger in her direction.

"Unhand him, witch!" another cried out.

"Yeah! Unhand him—" There was a pause. "Wait, he's the one holding her hostage!"

To emphasize the kid's point, Adalina held up her captive wrist.

"Oh." Another pause. "I-it's a trap!"

"Hey, I remember you guys," Luffy exclaimed. "You're the ones who told us about Ada being a witch!"

"Only to warn you!" the green shirt kid shouted back.

"What are you doing with her?" the red beanie kid asked.

"What does it look like? I'm getting Ada to join my crew!"

"I told you I—!" A gust of air left her lips. Weariness and resignation settled in as the anger left her system. By no means was she no longer defiant to Luffy's demands nor frustrated by his obstinacy, but she didn't care to rehash the same squabble in front of the Watch Squad or whatever they called themselves.

Instead, Adalina pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep inhale.

"She's going to be a pirate?" came the incredulous question. "But that's—that's…!"

"A witch _and_ a pirate?"

"Pretty cool, right?" Luffy puffed out his chest as though it was his ego that was being stroked. "With her as my sniper, we'd be unstoppable!"

The notion that Luffy had somehow gotten into his head about her being a world class shooter was one that Adalina would never understand. He had told her that he had asked around about her abilities, which what he had heard was apparently enough to convince him of these deluded visions of grandeur.

Well, no, that was wrong—she _did_ understand because she was certain that it was primarily attributed to the fact that she was Yasopp's daughter.

Her mind slowed to a pause. Surely the villagers had told him about the origin of her title, of whatever reputation she had fostered; yet, regardless, Luffy had remained unphased by it all. If anything, he had expressed his delight in her being Ada the Witch because he believed that it was _cool_.

A man excited by the prospect of having a murderer on his ship? Well, he did address himself as a pirate. Typical.

The longer the thought lingered, the more disdainful she felt towards Luffy. Initially, she disliked him not only because of his stubborn personality, but also because of how he had seen only her father whenever their eyes met. That negative feeling was amplified when she came to realize that Luffy was likely a vile human being.

With a rubber man, a swordsman, and a woman of an unknown ability here, Adalina just hoped that all three of them weren't so awful as to wreak havoc on the village.

"You'll be taking her away from here?" the middle-sized child inquired.

"That's the plan!"

Adalina expected the kids to burst into excitement, but, instead, they wore conflicted expressions on their faces. "Forever?"

"We could come back to visit, but it won't be for a while. We gotta search for One Piece first because I'm going to become the Pirate King!"

The boys traded looks. The lack of celebratory hoots and cheers puzzled Adalina, but she decided to think nothing more of it when she noticed where they were.

As she had been arguing with Luffy, she had been too distracted to see where she was walking towards to. Just ahead was a cliff that overlooked the sea. Standing on where the land tapered off were several trees, including the tallest one.

Adalina had long moved out of this area, the sight of where she had last seen her brother had hurt too much for her to bear residing here anymore. But years after she had left, she was no longer seized by cold terror and regret every time she came here. The times of her rare visits that had once been a penance had now graduated to solemnity.

Somehow, she always ended up coming here whenever the sun was shining and the skies clear. It was as if the universe was making a mockery of her misfortune by making these days bright and merry—just like the smile on Luffy's face.

Luffy took notice of where her attention was drawn to and ran off to the cliff. Adalina jumped at the abrupt action.

"What are you doing?" one of the boys exclaimed.

"The view here is awesome!" Luffy turned around and gave them a big wave. "Oi! Come over here!"

"No! Get away from there! That place is cursed!"

"It's dangerous!"

Ignoring the boys' frantic warnings, Luffy inched forward until he was standing on the very edge. Even Adalina felt tensed by the precarious position the pirate placed himself in. Luffy, however, had his hands propped on his hips and looked around casually.

"How is he not scared?" the bespectacled kid whispered.

"Because stupidity knows no fear," she deadpanned. "You three stay put. I'll go get him."

Was it because of Luffy's rubber powers that made him reckless? Did it guarantee him the ability to literally bounce back? Or was it an authentic part of his personality? Either way, the guy should know not to put his life at risk, supernatural abilities notwithstanding.

And despite her having an established aversion for the pirate, Adalina didn't want to see him fall, especially not in front of the kids. And she didn't know how Luffy's crewmates would react to finding out that their captain got hurt. If that were to happen, would they take it out on her for not stopping him? It wouldn't be the first time that she received blame for something that was out of her control, so she wouldn't expect anything less, honestly.

As Adalina came close, Luffy, without facing her, said, "Hey, Ada, look over there."

"Huh?" Startled, she did as told without meaning to. Her eyes followed the direction of where he was pointing at below, her gaze landing on two distant figures walking alongside the rocky shore. Narrowing her eyes, she recognized one of the men to be Klahadore, Kaya's butler.

Instinctively, she ducked low against the ground, pulling Luffy down with her. The last thing she wanted was Klahadore to accuse her for eavesdropping.

"It's that butler!" Luffy muttered with a huff. "I don't think I like that guy."

Adaline fixed him a bemused look. "You met him before?"

"Yeah, and not long after we met that prissy blonde girl."

 _Prissy_? For a second, she thought that the blonde girl that he was referring to was Kaya, but Kaya wasn't prissy. If he had encountered Klahadore, then perhaps Luffy had met a maid beforehand? But what was Luffy—and his crewmates since he used 'we'—doing at Kaya's mansion?

And what was Klahadore doing all the way out _here_?

Adalina had never seen the butler stray so far from the mansion. Usually, he would make rounds around and within the mansion if not attending to Kaya's needs. This act alone probably shouldn't warrant any suspicion, but there was a sense of wariness settling in when she took in Klahadore's uncharacteristic saunter and the unkempt way he wore his suit.

"Jango, did I not order you to avoid attracting attention in this village? And yet you go falling asleep in the center of it," Klahadore scolded his companion, his voice echoing in the cavity created by the cliffside.

"No way, man. I blended in perfectly. No one suspected out of the ordinary from me." From this distance, she could see that the other man sporting a hat, red glasses, and what appeared to be a stem attached to his chin. A beard? His overall appearance was strange.

Luffy seemed to think so as well. "Who's that weirdo with him?"

"No idea. Never saw him before," she whispered.

"Then are the preparations for the operation complete?" Klahadore asked.

"Of course. We can start anytime—the plan to murder the rich girl."


	9. But in the night

**Chapter 9:** But in the night

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I got the scene from a subbed version, and then I later saw the dubbed version. There were translation differences, but I went with the subbed version. Afterwards, I edited a few minor things to make the talking sound better.

* * *

Alarm bells went off in her head. Adalina reeled back in shock.

Behind her, someone gasped. She whipped her head around to see the three boys' pale faces, one of them with his hands pressed firmly against his mouth.

"D-did he just—"

She cut the kid off with a glare. "Quiet," she mouthed.

"Don't call it murder, Jango. It sounds vulgar."

"Ah, right. My bad. I meant an accident—the rich girl's accident."

"Accident" was what he just said. They were going to make it so that Kaya would die from an "accident." She couldn't believe this. Her hands fisted the grass tightly until the roots came out. Had Klahadore been plotting to kill Kaya this whole time?

But that was impossible. The man was Kaya's faithful butler! He was her caretaker and protector. He came to her every beck and call. And while the man was an intimidating, condescending, and insufferable prick, he only donned that tough exterior to scare anyone away who he believed to be unworthy to be within her presence.

At least, that was what it had always seemed to be.

Luffy asked her a question, but Adalina didn't hear it, too focused on the discussion that was taking place.

"Anyway, we'll just wait for your signal to land an attack on the village and kill the girl," Jango said, taking a seat on a rock. "Then you'll take her inheritance and the rest of us get paid."

"Fool! It's not that simple," Klahadore snapped. "How can a non-relative obtain her inheritance?"

"By working hard," Jango hazarded a guess.

"Working hard does not grant you that. Listen carefully. You play a significant role in this operation in that, before she is dead, you will hypnotize her into signing a will that states that she'll leave all her belongings to her butler Klahadore. Only then will I be able to obtain her inheritance."

"No way," one of boys whimpered.

"I spent three whole years to earn the villagers' trust," Klahadore stated, "so no one would find it out of the ordinary for the girl to leave everything to me."

"All this waiting just for this one moment," Jango said, rising to his feet. "You know, you really had me surprised when you first told me about this long-term plan of yours, Captain Kuro."

Captain Kuro?

"If we think back on it, the whole thing was pretty crazy," Jango continued. "Out of the blue, you announced that you were going to quit being a pirate. You then used your subordinate as a scapegoat and made the world think that you were executed. Finally, you came up with this idea to steal right under this rich girl's nose. I guess that's why they call you Kuro of a Hundred Plans."

Klahadore was a _pirate_? Not only was it confirmed that Klahadore had been plotting to take everything from Kaya, but he was also a pirate? For a man who had openly sneered at the mention of criminals of the sea, he was committed to his act.

"Do not address me as such," Klahadore—Kuro—said. "I gave up that name three years ago. All I want is wealth and to be no longer chased by the Marines. I would be regarded as a peaceful civilian, you know."

This prompted a cackle from Jango. "I never would have considered you as one! But for you to live your peaceful civilian life, you had to off her parent, eh?"

"Now, now. Her father's death really had nothing to do with me. That was an unforeseen event."

"Well, whatever. It has nothing to do with me. Just be quick about giving us the signal; the ship's been anchored nearby for a week already, and the men are getting impatient."

"There's no need. Set off for tomorrow at dawn. Disregard the villagers; just head straight for the mansion. And remember to make the girl's death an 'accidental' one."

Watching until the two men went on their separate ways, Adalina unfurled her grip, pieces of grass sticking onto her clammy palms. That was it—that was all there was for her to know about what was going on.

And for her to understand that everything that Kuro had done was all just a clever ruse. The gentleness that he had only exhibited towards Kaya, the camaraderie he had shared with the other servants, and the gratitude he had expressed towards the late master of the household for taking him in… It was all a lie.

Adalina had made sure to never stick around too long in the mansion whenever she visited Kaya, but, whenever she did stay, the two girls would tell each other stories. For Kaya, most of them related back to Kuro. Adalina had come to regard the man as Kaya's important person as Gaston was to her.

She had even seen him in a positive light despite their disastrous first meeting and minimal encounters—because he was _supposed_ to be a good person. Yet three years of taking care of Kaya and not shredding an ounce of hesitancy in robbing her? Three years and not showing any inkling of remorse?

Uneasiness pooled in her belly. Only a person so devoid of human affection and tenderness would behave like this.

In stiff and slow movements, she crept backwards away from the edge. The three boys got the hint and copied her. Luffy, however, remained where he was—him on his belly and legs idly up in the air.

Luffy clacked his feet together. "Say, what's going on? I don't get it," he said, entirely nonchalant.

The boys stared at him incredulously, probably about to impulsively yell at him judging by the way they inhaled, but Adalina shoved them down the cliff's incline. "Not now," she hissed at them. To Luffy, she motioned him over and said, "I'll tell you once we're away."

Luffy pouted, but nodded in compliance. He moved to get up on his feet, but was stopped when Adalina ordered him to crawl instead.

"What? Why?" he whined.

"We don't want those men to see us!"

"Why, though?"

"Come on!"

When all five of them gathered where Adalina was certain that they would be safe from being spotted, she stood up, leading the others to do the same.

"Okay, I think the coast is clear," she said. "But, just to be careful, we should keep our voices down."

"Oh gosh. Oh gosh," the red beanie kid muttered, pulling his beanie further down to his nose. "Did that really just happen?"

"Hey, hey, keep calm."

"Keep calm? How can we keep calm when we know that there's a premediated murder going on?" the bespectacled kid squeaked.

"For years!" the green shirt kid added.

"Adaaa, could you tell me what's going on?" Luffy insisted.

An upheaval of new emotions surged within her, but she suppressed them. Adalina couldn't just lash out—she shouldn't—so she tried to take it one step at a time. She sighed, releasing a bit of stress that had been building up, and carded her fingers through her bangs. "Klahadore—Kuro—the butler has been planning to kill his lady to steal her fortune."

Luffy's gaze remained steady. "Is that so?"

"How could you not know? Have you not been listening to what they were saying this whole time?" the bespectacled kid sputtered.

Luffy didn't respond. Instead, he pivoted on his heel and made his way back to the cliff. Adalina was quick to react as she held him back by throwing her arms around him. "Stop! Just where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to tell that butler to not kill the prissy blonde girl!"

She was momentarily taken aback. The prissy blonde girl was Kaya all along? Just what did Luffy do to make Kaya appear prissy to him? Adalina hastily dropped the thought. "Are you nuts? He's not going to do that just because you told him to!"

"How do you know? You haven't even tried!"

"Try—there's no point in trying that!" She harshly tugged on his shirt and forced him to face her. "Look, Klahadore—Kuro's been planning for _three years_! He's been waiting for this moment for three years and there's no way that he's going to let anything stop him."

"Then I'll be the one to stop him!"

"How? By taking him on by yourself? We don't know what he's even capable of."

He furrowed his brows. "That's your problem, Ada. You're not willing to try anything. You're so stuck up in your own head and limiting yourself of what you think you can't do that you really don't know what _you're_ capable of."

She gaped at him before growling exasperatedly, "That doesn't even make sense in this situation! Don't bring that up when Kaya's life is in danger."

"Bring what up?"

"Me joining your crew—that's what you've been blathering about before. About how I'm ever so reluctant on taking opportunities." Adalina breathed in and out shakily. "Just stop this, Luffy. It's not going to happen."

"I don't believe that," Luffy said firmly. "I know that you really want to be out there, to experience things outside of this village."

"Don't presume to know what I want."

"Then why didn't you take off the moment I let go of your wrist?"

"You were standing on the edge—you could have fallen off and died."

"You came for me."

"I—yes."

"It means that deep down, you actually wanna take a chance on me."

"What? No! I came for you because I didn't want a dead person on my conscience."

"And you stopped me from going after the butler."

"Again, because I don't want to be guilty of your death."

"Because you don't want to miss this chance."

"I would have felt guilty for a random stranger!" Adalina snapped. "Stop twisting things to fit them to your favor!"

"I'm not! I'm just telling it how it is," Luffy argued.

She grounded her teeth and turned away from him. Incidentally, her eyes met with the boys'. The trio looked up at her, confusion and fright etched so painfully clear on their small faces.

Adalina didn't know their names, never having cared enough to know, but she did know that she their parents after making deliveries for them. The green shirt and bespectacled kids' parents remained more or less wary of her, but the red beanie kid's parents had always been indifferent of her estranged status within the village. Regardless, they all had been decent people who treated her impartially and paid her what was due.

Kuro had instructed Jango to disregard the people, but did that convey exactly what his words had claimed? He must have meant to take their lives lightly. Perhaps on their trek up to Kaya's hill, the pirates would slay anyone who got in their way. They would create an uproar, a carnage, and their bloodshed would ultimately lead up to Kaya's demise.

Maybe that was the "accidental" part.

Such an incident would be labeled as a pirate crew's typical pillaging, and no one would suspect Kuro to be the mastermind because he would play his part in being the anguished butler who lost his beloved young mistress.

She held no fondness for the Witch Surveillance Squad, but she couldn't imagine these boys to be struck with such loss, to go through what she had, all because of one man's greed. She held no love for a community that had quietly shunned her since her childhood, but she couldn't imagine this tiny hamlet to go in flames.

Adalina knew that she was at least compelled into doing something for Kaya and Gaston, those who had shown her genuine warmth and kindness. And then she thought back to those who had been fair to her and those who were undeserving of what hell that was about to be wrought upon dawn. She thought about what the right thing to do would be.

She pulled away from the boys' gaze and looked up at Luffy's expectant one.

"I…" She licked her lips. "How about we make a deal?"

Luffy canted his head. "What deal?"

"Well, firstly, how strong are you and your crew?"


	10. When it is cold

**Chapter 10:** When it is cold

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you, dear reviewer, for the critique. Admittedly, how I wrote Luffy's actions were what I genuinely thought Luffy would do. But how one perceives differs from how another perceives. Additionally, the way I wrote Luffy wasn't intentionally to highlight Adalina's intelligence or to bring Luffy down; what I attempted to convey was Adalina's perspective, biased due to her frustrations directed at Luffy. However, if you deem that I still did a poor job in writing Luffy's character, I'll try to be more careful. Perhaps it won't show in this chapter, but I'll try for the upcoming ones. Anyway, please enjoy!

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" the orange-haired woman, Nami, screeched, slamming her hands on the table. "Are you seriously intending to get us involved in a fight against a pirate crew that's way out of our league?"

"We fought against Buggy, so what's the issue?"

"Luffy, this is Captain Kuro—the man who is said to be the smartest and cruelest pirate in all of East Blue! Three years ago, he was reported to be captured and killed by the Marines, but since it turns out that he's been just laying low…" Nami trailed off, her anger morphing into worry.

"Relax, Nami," the swordsman, Zoro, said. "We can handle this."

"Yeah!" Luffy said cheerfully. "And if we succeed, then Ada will join us!"

Nami casted Adalina a look, to which Adalina responded with a curt nod.

While Luffy had ran off to find his crewmates, the boys had argued among themselves as to what they should do. One had insisted that they warn Kaya and the villagers right away. Another had countered that they needed to strategize before starting anything. The last kid had cried out about needing to pack up their things and run away.

Adalina had reeled them in and had told them that they ought to wait for Luffy to return with his friends before they acted on anything. She herself hadn't been too certain as to what to do.

If she went around disclosing Kuro's daybreak attack to everyone, would they believe her? For that matter, would Kaya? It was just as Kuro had said—everyone trusted the façade that he had put up for these past three years. Kaya had known him longer than she had known Adalina; there was without a doubt that the blonde would take Kuro's word over hers.

And while the villagers would surely see that her running around screaming about pirates as not a trivial matter, would they associate it as her finally going crazy?

Another issue she had was the fact that Kuro was almost always by Kaya's side. Warning the village would obviously tip the man off, so he might end up taking drastic measures. Adalina had pictured Kuro arresting Kaya against his chest, holding a gun to her face as he slipped away into the safety of his ship. With Kaya held as hostage, there was no way that the villagers would do anything.

As Adalina had mulled over how to work around these plausible scenarios, Luffy had come back with his crewmates in tow.

Currently, they were inside Adalina's house. Luffy was curiously browsing the wide selection of herbs hanging on her wall. Zoro was seated with his swords propped against his chest. Nami was pacing in small circles at the back of the kitchen.

The boys, however, had been too intimidated to enter a witch's dwelling, so they had opted to run off elsewhere. Where to, she had no idea.

"Are we really not going to tell anyone about what's going on?" Nami asked.

"We could try," Adalina allowed. "It would be for the best if the villagers evacuate from the premises, and Kuro's pirates wouldn't have the time to get to them. But Kuro might end up hurting Kaya beforehand."

"Then we just have to get to the girl first before we warn everyone else," Zoro said.

She chewed on her lower lip before nodding slowly. "If we could bypass Kuro. If he finds out that we know, then he could harm someone else to get an advantage over us."

After the words left her mouth, Adalina belatedly thought that such a situation probably didn't matter to these three. They were pirates, after all, despite how they were starting out. For that matter, Luffy wouldn't care about protecting anyone as long as he held up his end of the bargain—

"No one is going to get hurt as long as we're here," Luffy declared.

Adalina blinked, taken aback.

"This is your village, Ada. So, as your future captain, it's my duty to protect it alongside you!" He gave her a wide grin. "You can count on me!"

"And me." Zoro smirked. "I've been itching for a fight, especially now after hearing that our opponents are potentially strong fighters."

Nami sighed long-sufferingly. "I'll join too, I guess." She then perked up after adding, "But we better get some sort of compensation for risking our necks!"

"I…" Not knowing what to do, she lowered her head in gratitude. "I appreciate that. Thank you…"

"Shishishi! No need to thank us—we're just doing what's right!"

"You're a pirate—everything you do isn't supposed to be right," Nami said, echoing her thoughts exactly.

"If I'm doing wrong by doing what's right, then that means I'm doing right anyways because I'm doing it wrong." Luffy beamed at this.

"What kind of warped logic is that?"

"Anyway, do we have a definite plan as to what we should do?" Zoro asked, looking at Adalina. "You know the village better than we do and you heard all about Kuro's plans."

She nodded. "The obvious one would be to take Kaya away to safety. If she can't be reasoned with, then she must be taken away forcibly. There's an issue with facing Kuro, though."

"Just leave him to me," Zoro and Luffy said at the same time.

Before Adalina could speak, Nami said, "Luffy, no you're not. Kuro's known for using blades affixed on each finger. You rely on your punches, which would be a great disadvantage for you when facing him off."

"Ah, c'mon," Luffy said, pouting. "I can take him on!"

"You heard her, Captain." Zoro looked at him smugly.

"There's also Jango who might be somewhere within the village. Kuro mentioned that he could hypnotize," Adalina chimed in.

"You said that he was a guy with red glasses, right? We met him. I don't think he's anyone worth worrying about. We saw him perform his hypnosis on a couple kids, and he not only made them fall asleep but himself included," Nami recounted.

"He's an _actual_ hypnotist? Seriously?" Luffy's eyes sparkled with interest. "That's so cool!"

"He's still someone crucial to Kuro's plans, so we have to keep him and Kaya far apart," Adalina insisted. "While those two are distracted, someone then needs to go tell the villagers."

"And what about the pirates at the docks?"

She frowned in thought. "If Kuro's incapacitated before he could signal his crew, then they would arrive at the village at dawn. But if not, then…" She frowned harder. "Okay, how about this? The rest of the shoreline is closed off by the cliffs, so the only way of getting to the village is going through the slope. You guys know what I'm talking about?"

"It's the one that you pointed to after we met you," Luffy said.

If Kuro's pirates weren't the dangerous ones, then she might as well have subjected her own village to its destruction by underestimating these pirates and showing them the way. They still had nothing much to prove aside from Luffy's stretching abilities, but Adalina learned to think twice before lowering her guard for anyone so easily.

"Right. I'll purchase barrels of oil from a grocer today. We'll pour the oil over the slope and make the ascent difficult to climb."

"That's pretty smart, Ada."

"I don't think it'll keep them for long, though, so someone needs to stay there and shoot them down if they get close to the top."

"That's where you come in, then," Nami finished for her. "First, we take care of the slope and have Ada stationed there. Then Zoro will go and take care of Kaya and Kuro, Luffy will take care of Jango, and I'll go warn the villagers. It's a solid plan." She smiled approvingly.

"But will the villagers even believe warnings coming from you?" Zoro pointed out.

"Huh? Why wouldn't they?" Luffy asked. "Nami can be trusted."

Nami grimaced and turned away.

"That's not what I meant. Nami is a stranger to them while Kuro's not. Sure, he's been deceiving them this whole time, but they don't know that."

"Then how about Ada and Nami switch positions?"

"Ada isn't really trusted here either, you know."

Instantly, Luffy's lips twisted into a scowl. "Well, that's stupid. I can tell that it's just a big fat lie, and I'm not even from here."

Zoro glanced at Adalina's way before speaking to Luffy, "We know it too, now."

What were they talking about?

"Besides," Zoro added, "what would Nami use to shoot down the pirates?"

"She could throw rocks."

Nami slapped her forehead.

"Oh, I know! Ada takes care of Jango, I punch down those pirates, and Nami warns the villagers!"

"That just goes back to my first point!"

"Then Nami takes care of Jango, Zoro can chuck rocks at the pirates, Ada warns the villagers, and I beat up Kuro!" Luffy threw his arms up in the air. "Yeah!"

"Were you listening to anything that we just said?" Zoro shouted.

Adalina stared at Luffy, flummoxed. Just how did he manage to convince Nami and Zoro into following him? The way he acted hardly showcased any qualities of what she imagined a captain to have. Did he persuade them by the sheer persistence that he had displayed earlier with her? Or perhaps he had been deliberate in his roundabout way of talking things that lead Nami and Zoro into ultimately agreeing to be a part of his crew? If that was the case, then Luffy was a deceptively smart character.

The realization that she had been duped in such a fashion made her eyes widen.

There was loud banging on the door, and then the sound of someone slamming the door open. Adalina jumped, startled by the abrupt noise, and was shocked to see that bursting through the entrance was none other than Gaston.

"Ada!" He quickly strode over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, checking up on her from head to toe. "Oh goodness, are you alright?"

"Gaston! What—why—?"

"I heard all about the pirates planning to attack Syrup Village and I came running here!"

She briefly took stock of Gaston's disarrayed appearance, seeing that he indeed had rushed his way over. But how did he find out about the pirates? Her eyes drifted to the entrance where she saw the three boys nervously lingering by.

Suddenly, Gaston pulled away from Adalina to thrust a finger at Zoro and Nami's direction. "It's you two!" Gaston exclaimed. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Dr. Rikki?" Nami looked at him in surprise, which was perhaps the same expression that Adalina was mirroring as her eyes flickered between the two. How did they know each other? Had they met prior to gathering here?

"You guys couldn't be…" Gaston then gasped and backed away slowly, forcing Adalina to follow his movements. Adalina quickly sensed that he, in his misunderstanding, was trying to direct her out of the door while using himself as a shield. She ducked under his arm, but Gaston grabbed her upper arm to reel her back.

"Get behind me, Ada! It's not safe!"

"These aren't the bad pirates!" Adalina explained hurriedly. "They're not the ones that the boys told you about."

"They're not?"

The green shirt kid pushed past his friends to speak up. "No! These guys are… I don't know what kind of pirates they are, but their captain said that he'll help us take down Kuro!"

" _Kuro_? I…" Gaston pinched the bridge of his nose as he released a weary sigh. "Okay, clearly I need the full story here."

* * *

Once the doctor received the rundown version of what had happened, Gaston's lips thinned as the confusion in his eyes melted into skepticism. "Klahadore," he echoed. "Klahadore? Really?"

"I know that it's hard to accept, but it's true," Adalina insisted.

"Are you sure you didn't mishear? Or perhaps mistook that man for Klahadore?"

She gritted her teeth. "I know what I heard and saw. In fact, there are four other witnesses who can verify my claim."

"It's true!" the red beanie kid piped up. "We heard all about it!"

"I dunno this stuck-up butler all that well, but I'd know him if I see him again," Luffy affirmed.

The doctor appraised them hesitantly before averting his gaze. "I just… It sounds unbelievable." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Klahadore has been nothing but loyal to Lady Kaya. I can't imagine…"

As much as it frustrated Adalina that Gaston doubted her words, she understood the reason behind it. She, not long ago, had experienced the same disbelief, and she was one of the few who had personally witnessed Kuro unveiling his true colors.

"If what you're saying is true, then shouldn't we notify the Marines? Or tell everyone about this?" Gaston brought up.

"Oh, sure, if you wanna wait for a week for them to show up to see the carnage that's been leftover, then by all means," Zoro drawled, smirking. "Not that we'll actually wait for that to happen."

"What Zoro means to say," Nami began, shooting the swordsman a glare, "is that the Marines might not arrive in time. Besides, they probably won't believe that the real Captain Kuro is here instead of being buried six feet under."

"But if we do send a message that there's a pirate problem without mentioning Kuro…"

"Still won't change the fact that they won't get here in time. The attack is supposed to be by dawn."

Gaston began to wring his hands, disquieted by the information. Adalina had never seen him so distraught since Dr. Moors's death. A happy-go-lucky man who lived a tranquil provincial life wouldn't be able to know how to handle a terrifying situation like this. He must have felt as though he had been vaulted from a typical sunny day into hell.

Adalina herself was brimming with trepidation. However, she managed a conduct of affected cool, believing that her panicked state would bring nothing but more trouble.

Strangely, it helped her to think back of the time when she had first encountered wolves all those years ago; the adrenaline of fear and the primal desire to survive had pushed her into action. If she zeroed in on those emotions for tomorrow, if she treated Kuro's pirates as wolves, would she live to see another day?

Adalina watched Luffy, Zoro, and Nami under furrowed brows. In the duration of their explanation, Gaston had raised reservations about three people being able to hold out on their own against a whole crew, whatever tactics they intended to employ notwithstanding. The notorious Captain Kuro, in particular, would be one foe that not just anyone could defeat.

In response to that, Luffy and Zoro had confidently (arrogantly?) proclaimed that they were more than capable of fighting. Nami hadn't carried the same conviction in her own abilities, but the orange-haired woman had hinted about being able to take care of herself in dangerous circumstances. A survivor wasn't what the village needed, however; they needed protectors.

Protectors who seemed to consist of this motley group, herself included. But it wasn't as if there was any other choice. That much, Gaston seemed to understand despite his insistence in there being other solutions to their problem.

Well, perhaps there were…? If not the Marines, could the villagers take up arms and defend for themselves? There was no one here who knew how to take aim and kill, but there were able-bodied men and women who could do something… The question was: Would they?

If their children were in danger, mothers would take a stand. If their families were in danger, fathers would roll up their sleeves. If their homes were in danger, everyone would brandish their pitchforks and clubs in union. At least, that was what Adalina liked to envision that the people would do.

"Hey, don't worry so much," Luffy told Gaston. "You got us! And we can count on you to do something too, right?"

Gaston looked at him in bemusement. "Pardon?"

"You wanna help out. That's why you're still here."

"I—well, yes, this is my home, after all," he sputtered.

"Luffy, what are you doing?" Nami asked, frowning. "Don't just drag someone into this."

"But isn't he someone important in the village? If he told everyone about Kuro's pirates, then maybe they'll believe him."

"And they would," Adalina murmured. She turned towards Gaston, reaching over to grasp his hand. "Gaston, you could help evacuate the villagers!"

"Wh-what?"

"Now that we got that part settled, can we get a move on? I don't think we have a whole lot of time left if we wanna buy those barrels," Zoro said, jabbing a thumb in the direction of one of the windows. Indeed, the skies were turning into a hazy orange glow. Alarmed, Adalina glanced at the clock that hung next to the cabinets, and then scrambled to the door.

"It's almost closing time!" she gasped.

"What are you guys waiting for? Go help her carry them!" Nami yelled.


	11. The suns dim low

**Chapter 11:** The suns dim low

* * *

Adalina tipped over the last of the barrels, sending a flood of oil running down the slope. Once empty of all its contents, she rolled the barrel over to Nami, who pushed it into the thicket along with the rest. With the task finally completed, Adalina straightened her back and stretched.

With the moon's illumination enveloping the earth, the rocky hill gleamed with its new oleaginous surface. She was unable to detect Kuro's ship even from where she was standing, but she knew that it was out there, floating on top of waters that also glistened from the rays of moonlight.

"Those pirates are gonna have a tough time getting up here now," Nami said, making her way towards Adalina.

"We should get some rest while we can." Adalina turned around and picked up her two quivers, strapping them around her waist. "We wouldn't want to be weighed down by exhaustion during the fight."

"Yeah, but one of us should keep watch in case we sleep past dawn or Kuro alerts his crew prematurely. You go ahead and nap. I'll wake you when it's time."

"Are you sure?"

"Pssh. I've gone nights without my proper eight hours. I'll be fine. Besides, you're the one who's going to need it more than me given your role."

Adalina turned her head to hide her frown. There was a niggling sense of skepticism. If Luffy was here and made that offer in Nami's place, she would have accepted it. If it was Zoro, she would have hesitated, but probably would trusted the green-haired man to keep his word.

Nami, however, wasn't as straightforward and simple as the boys appeared to be. The orange-haired woman was as loud as Luffy and prone to bouts of fury, but Adalina had a feeling that there was something wily about her. Nami had demonstrated as such when she had bargained for a position that benefitted her during their planning.

In retrospect, Adalina wasn't savvy when it came to people, so she wasn't sure if her paranoia was making her project unwelcoming qualities onto the object of her doubts. Then again, Kuro had everyone duped for years… Was Nami going to take advantage of the crisis and abandon them to their collective demise?

Not wanting to make her hesitance known, Adalina thanked her and sauntered over to the closest tree to settle at its base. Nami followed suit, sitting down across from her, and the girls shared a moment of relaxed silence.

"Everything is going to be alright, just so you know," Nami spoke up. "We got a good solid plan, and the boys can handle anything."

Adalina glanced at her. "I suppose that you've known them for a long time?"

She snorted. "Not even for a week. But from what I've seen, they're pretty strong guys."

Oh, Nami was recently recruited? Adalina idly wondered if Nami had been badgered into joining like how she had by Luffy. It explained the perpetual exasperation that Nami seemed to have for him. Obviously, the recruitment had to be done by the straw hat boy. Zoro didn't seem like the kind of guy who would bother to do such a thing.

Adalina folded her arms over her lap and dropped her eyelids. She wasn't quite tired yet, the anxious energy of an upcoming battle keeping her up, but she could make a show of resting. Perhaps she could try to get a peace of mind while at it.

And just when her nerves were settled to a calming lull, an explosion sounded off in the distance. Immediately, she leaped onto her feet. At the same time, Nami cried out, "What the hell was that?"

Dense billows of smoke rose to the dark sky. Adalina's eyes traced down the path of the smoke, but her view was obscured by the canopy of leaves. Regardless, she knew where the fire was coming from.

"Maybe I've spoken too soon," Nami muttered.

Adalina grounded her teeth. "It's coming from Kaya's mansion. The plan—something's gone wrong." Was Zoro unable to take on Kuro after all? If the butler managed to subdue the swordsman, then who was watching out for Kaya?

The girls waited for one tensed minute before a loud whistling projectile shot up into the air. Aside from the conflagration, the projectile's tail of smoke was the only visible mark on the sky until, seconds later, a red blaze of light appeared.

"That's a signal," Nami breathed. "No, that's _the_ signal!"

She felt her heart pound harshly against her ribcage. Kuro had told Jango that he would release the signal when to attack the village, which meant that the Black Cat Pirates would be coming here soon.

Adalina tightened her grip on her bow. They were coming _way_ too soon. She had known that this would happen, that she would have to pull her bowstring and release her arrows at men wishing to slay her people, but she felt wholly unprepared. And who wouldn't?

She had never shot a person, not to mention a whole horde of them. She was just an average village girl with an unjustified reputation. If Zoro couldn't handle Kuro, then how could she possibly face a whole crew of pirates? She wasn't ready for this. She couldn't do this—

"Look!" Nami pointed out to the sea where a lone ship could be seen making its way to the shores. The ship could easily be noted of its considerable size despite how far it was from here. Silhouetted by the moon's glow was a catlike figurehead that led the ship. "The fight's coming sooner than expected!"

"That's… I…" She swallowed thickly and turned to face Nami. Trustworthy or not, Nami was the only one who she had left. She didn't know how Luffy was doing or his whereabouts, but she hoped that he at least managed to keep Jango at bay. "You need to go and get Kaya to safety. I'll stay here to shoot them down as planned."

Nami looked at her, wide-eyed. "What? Are you sure?"

Originally, Nami was supposed to stand guard of the other slope from the other side of the island, hence why she was here instead of elsewhere. But with a new problem at hand, they got more pressing matters to attend to.

Adalina didn't want to defend both slopes on her own—she was scared out of her mind!—but she didn't want Kaya to be without anyone protecting her.

So, Adalina nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

"But… Kuro could be there. I'm no match for him!"

"You said it yourself, right? Zoro's strong, so he must have hurt Kuro enough to incapacitate him a bit. Besides, you also said that you're good at stealing. If Kuro does have Kaya, then steal her from him."

"As if it can be that easy!" Nami snapped.

"Nami, please," Adalina implored. "If Kuro gets his way, she could die!"

" _I_ could die too, you know!" She pinched bridge of her nose and exhaled heavily. "Okay, okay, I'll try something. Just—just don't expect actual results, alright?"

With that said, Nami took off in the direction of the smoke. Adalina sighed shudderingly and turned around to face her adversaries. She solemnly held up her bow, positioned an arrow, and waited for them to come.

* * *

Jango was nowhere to be seen.

Luffy had been running around island for _ages_ with no sign of the hypnotist. Finally, he slowed to a stop and dropped his hands on his knees, catching his breath. The cool breeze helped with the exertion, but it did nothing to quell the frustration that was building up.

He glared mutinously at the dirt path, but then an idea came to him. He widened his stance and concentrated really hard, hoping that his sheer willpower would force the man to just show up right here and right now.

"I'm ready for you, weirdo shades man!" he announced.

Instead of his anticipated foe to appear, there was a loud bang. Luffy whirled around to see thick smoke pouring out of the windows of the mansion on the hill. He wasn't so far to not see the stuffy butler bursting through one of the windows, shattering glass. The man scrambled onto his feet and held up a cylindrical item above his head.

Something blasted from the item and soared straight into the atmosphere. Soon, a flash of red lighted the night sky. Luffy frowned at this. What was Kuro doing setting off fireworks?

Below, the people who Gaston had quietly gathered cried out in distress. If the explosion hadn't startled any other person from his or her slumber, then the ones standing in the village's center certainly did with their clamoring.

Gaston tried to call for order, but his voice was drowned out by the tumultuous noise surrounding him. There was jostling coming from all angles what with people pushing and shoving. Whether it was to get away from the source of danger or towards it to see what was going on, the crowd was moving like a violently rippling mass.

His wife, Cecelia, shot him a disquieted look. "What is going on?" she shouted to him.

"I told you!" he said. "The village is under attack and we need to evacuate!"

To avoid tripping and being trampled over, the children were swept into the arms of their parents. Those who had opted to ignore Gaston's warnings ran out of their homes, ultimately joining the throng.

The crowd cut between him and Cecelia despite their hands desperately intertwined. Now, his wife was lost in the rabble. Gaston cursed aloud as he was involuntarily pushed to the back. Seeing that fighting against the tide was a useless endeavor, he quickly maneuvered his way out until he was free of jabbing elbows.

The doctor lost his footing and landed on his knees on the gravel. He picked himself up, ignoring the slight throb of pain, and climbed up a knoll. From his elevated position, Gaston surveyed the scene before him.

There were two blurring figures—Kuro and Zoro—engaged in a fierce duel in front of the mansion. Blades clashed with blades, and limbs worked in constant motion. Even in the darkness, he was able to make out the long gleaming claws that Kuro used to swipe at his opponent.

A chill ran down his spine. It was one thing to hear about it, but to witness it cemented the belief. Ada and the kids were right all along; the village's beloved butler really was a notorious pirate…

The swordsman must have followed Kuro out of the mansion, but where was Kaya?

"Holy shit!" someone from his right cried out. "Is that Klahadore?"

Snapping out of his reverie, Gaston jumped into action. "We need to leave now! The Black Cat pirates are on their way here!"

Those around him stared at him incredulously. "Dr. Rikki?"

These folks must have just gotten here, but he didn't have time to go over the full details. "Klahadore is actually Captain Kuro, a pirate. He's bringing his crew here to kill us all, so move it!"

Meanwhile, Luffy was sprinting towards the mansion. He reckoned that if Jango wasn't around the parts that he had searched at, then he must be with Kuro. Unwittingly, he grinned at the possibility of delivering a punch at Kuro. While Zoro had made claims of fighting the butler, Luffy still wanted to go at the man. He was causing Ada trouble, after all.

When he determined that he was within launching distance, Luffy, not stopping his run, shoved back his right bicep with his left hand. The muscles in his arm coiled with tension, and his right hand clenched into a tight ball.

"Gum Gum…" Luffy threw out his arm, sending the elongated appendage careening towards the mansion. "Rocket!"

His fingers locked themselves around one of the gate's bars, and he pulled himself forward. His feet left the ground and he soared. Seconds before his face would collide against the gate, he pushed his grip downwards, forcing his body to arc higher than the initial trajectory. With this, he propelled himself over the gate.

He alighted onto the ground with a hard-sounding thud. Except…he didn't meet the ground, but rather Zoro.

"Oh, whoops," Luffy murmured. "Sorry, Zoro."

"Luffy," Zoro growled around the hilt of his sword, "get off of me!"

Luffy obeyed by hopping over to the side. Simultaneously, Kuro took advantage of the interruption by bounding backwards to create space between him and the swordsman. Luffy glanced over to the butler and noted that he didn't look so pristine anymore.

Zoro spat his sword out into one of his hands and glared at the captain. "What are you doing here? What about the hypnotist?"

"I couldn't find him! I was hoping that he might be here," Luffy explained.

"Well, he's not."

"Ah man. Did you at least save Kaya?"

"She's fine. She ran off with her duck. Now, if you can please get going so that I can—Hey! Wait!"

But Kuro did not heed to Zoro's outcry as he bolted around the mansion. Zoro grunted irritably at this and inserted the Wado Ichimonji back into his mouth. He took off after the man with his swords ready to resume their fighting.

Yet, when he rounded the corner, Kuro was gone.

"Whoa! Where'd he go?" Luffy asked from behind.

Zoro sighed.

* * *

Adalina lowered her bow when she saw that the pirates disembarking the ship were moving towards Luffy's boat.

Earlier, Nami had been frantically insistent that they transfer her bags of treasures somewhere safe before they pour oil over the slopes. Adalina had resignedly helped her, figuring that it would be faster to cater to the older girl's demands than to argue.

The Black Cat pirates wouldn't find anything of worth, yet them fruitlessly scavenging the abandoned boat caused her one worry. If they were moving towards the north shore, then they would choose to take the other slope rather than the one she was stationed at.

Adalina scowled and ran for the other side. She had made sure that that the slopes were liberally spread with oil. The number of barrels that she had purchased might have costed her savings, but it was a price worth paying for. If the pirates decided to spread out and climb the unoccupied slope, then the only thing they would be doing was slipping and falling.

By the time that she made it, the Black Cat pirates were still inspecting the boat. Adalina ducked behind the foliage. The incline here wasn't as steep as the other one. The vegetation in the area was sparse, leaving her not many places to hide.

Though she was confident that the pirates wouldn't be able to overcome the greasy obstacle, she wouldn't discount the possibility that they could.

Her panting was unbearably loud to her ears, and she muffled her lips in fear that the men below could somehow hear her. Once her breathing evened out, Adalina pulled out an arrow from her quiver and nocked it.

"Hey, Boss! There's nothing here," one of the men called out.

"Talk about a letdown."

She stiffened at the familiar voice. Jango? Jango was down there?

She had thought that the hypnotist would have been wandering around the village, but she didn't think to expect him be with the crew. Although, this should technically play into her favor, right? Jango was here, away from Kaya. If she got a good shot at him, then Jango would for certain be unable to work his ability on the blonde girl.

"Let's just get to the village," Jango said. "Captain Kuro must have a good reason for starting the attack hours earlier than scheduled."

"Righto, Captain Jango!" the pirates cheered, brandishing their weapons.

"You got it, Boss!"

"Let's kill those guys—ack!" An arrow lodged itself into the pirate's jugular, and he toppled backwards. There was a moment of shocked silence, the men gaping at the sight of their fallen comrade, until shouts of alarm and outrage filled the air.

"Where the hell did that come from?"

"Is someone out there? Show yourself and we'll make your death painless, you cowardly bastard!"

Adalina remained crouching in her spot, trembling. She did it. She actually shot someone—no, she _killed_ someone. She didn't think she would have managed considering how dark it was—she hadn't even intended on going for the kill, but…she did it. Beneath the moonlight, there was a prone form with an arrow sticking out of his neck.

Bile rose up in the back of her throat when the nausea struck abruptly, and she couldn't suppress the convulsing urge to vomit. She twisted her torso to the side and have chunks slide down from her tongue and onto the grass.

She shoved a fist into her mouth to smother the retching. Now wasn't the time to let this get to her head. She had known that this would be the inevitable course of action, so she had to get it together. She had to treat these Black Cat pirates for what they were—wolves on the prowl.

She had to take herself back to the time when she had been thirteen when she had been cornered by wolves, when she had shot one. She had to remember the feeling of that fear and adrenaline, the desperate need to survive.

Adalina hadn't felt remorse for killing a wolf, so she shouldn't feel otherwise today. These men's only objective was to slaughter her people and raise hell in her village, and she was going to stop them. There was no way she would grant them entry.

The vomit that coated her tongue and teeth was acrid, but she ignored it. Adalina wiped her lips and released a shuddering huff. With renewed determination, she fired again and, like before, brought down another pirate.

"Get up there now! Kill that bastard!" Jango commanded furiously.

Yet, despite their best efforts, the pirates were unable to traverse up the slope. Their angry cries evolved to panicked ones. Grimly satisfied, Adalina continued her hunt.

The crew were on high alert now. With another arrow flying, they were made vaguely aware of the direction of where their attacker was aiming from. When the men fled back to where they had docked their ship, calling for the Nya-something Brothers, Adalina chased after them.

Driven by her success, she belatedly realized that she no longer had the advantage of having the shroud of shadows concealing her as she scurried across the cliffside.

But it was too late for her to backtrack. In a flash, a flash of silver appeared before her eyes, and, the next thing she knew, pain blossomed on her shoulder.

Adalina yelped and automatically dropped her bow. She crumbled to her knees as her hand slapped over her wound, hot blood oozing between her fingers. A couple feet behind her, landing on the ground with a soft thud was a circular razor.

"You got him, Captain!"

"He's right there! Finish him off!"

She scrambled onto her feet and snatched her bow with her good arm, but her movements amplified the searing ache, hindering her from dodging the next attack. Another razor cut through the air and dug into the meat of her thigh, forcing her back to the ground. Adalina cried out.

Dazedly, she registered the cheers that echoed underneath the cliff's edge. Her fingers scratched the earth and dirt filled the pockets in her nails. Her good arm was propped in front of her. Her pigtails hung on each side of her face and the flyaway strands clung onto her damp skin.

Adalina noticed that the cheering stopped, which was when she noticed that there was someone standing over her.

* * *

"Oh, for the love of…" Nami groaned. "What now?"

A mass of villagers barred her path. While it was good to see that Gaston had done his job, albeit messily, Nami had to get past these people as soon as possible. She didn't want to stick out in the open by running down the public road, but if that was her only option…

She pivoted and hurried along in the other direction. Once she vaulted pass the woods and into the clearing, she stumbled to a halt when she nearly crashed into a red vested chest.

"Luffy! Watch where you're going!"

"Huh? Nami? What are you doing here?"

Both Luffy and Zoro stood before her. Luffy hardly had a scratch on him—taking care of that bumbling hypnotist must have been an easy feat for the rubber man— but Zoro, on the other hand, was in the opposite condition. Nami gasped at the sight of the swordsman.

"Wha—Zoro! You look terrible!"

"Gee, thanks." Zoro rolled his eyes.

"What happened? Did you take care of Kuro?"

"The guy got this fancy footwork technique that lets him move around like a ghost. Honestly, I would've been a goner if it weren't for the other butler setting off the kitchen. The explosion really took a blow on Kuro."

Nami blinked. "Wait, the explosion wasn't from Kuro?" She then shook her head. "Never mind that. Where's the girl? Kaya?"

"She's safe. Ran off with her duck."

Despite the reassurance, Nami couldn't help but feel uneasy. Where did Kaya run off to? And where was Kuro, for that matter? When she voiced this question, Zoro's composure shifted into a thinly veiled perturbation.

"He ran off too," came Zoro's admittance.

Nami stared at him, boggled. "He _what_?"

"I said he—"

"You just let him escape? Are you crazy?" she exclaimed. For all they knew, Kuro could be pursuing Kaya or, much to Nami's fret, had already gotten to her. Bubbling with anger, Nami contemplated smacking the green-haired idiot with her staff.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Zoro snapped back at her defensively. "Luffy came out of nowhere and interrupted my fight!"

Hearing this, Nami's dark gaze darted at the said boy. "Luffy," she growled.

"I couldn't find Jango anywhere," Luffy said, a hint of whine in his tone. "I thought that he'd be with Kuro."

"Which he wasn't," Zoro added with exasperation.

So Luffy didn't fight Jango after all? Then the hypnotist must be with the rest of the Black Cat pirates. That shouldn't pose as a problem, though, right? Nami trusted that Ada had enough sense to not fall for the man's hypnotism. Hopefully, the girl already had taken care of him.

"Anyways, what are you doing here, Nami?" the straw hat boy repeated his question.

"When the explosion sounded off, Ada was worried that Kuro beat Zoro—" at this, Zoro scoffed in offense "—so she sent me to find Kaya."

This time, the looks of accusation were pinned on her. "You're calling us crazy, yet you left Ada alone to defend the slopes?" Zoro asked.

Nami bristled. "Well, I wouldn't have to if you dealt with Kuro sooner."

Zoro gestured at his injuries mockingly. "The guy is famous for a reason, idiot."

"Don't call me an idiot, idiot!"

"Uh, guys?" Luffy intervened. "Maybe we should get going? Standing here dawdling won't help us any."

The two flinched. Trust Luffy, the resident dunderhead, to be the voice of reason when the two leveled-headed members weren't being so level-headed. Nami clamped down her own embarrassment and nodded in assent. "Right. Let's go."

"Since we don't know where Kuro is, we should go see the slopes. Two of us should head for the north shore while the other heads for the south," Zoro said.

"Why's that?" Luffy asked.

"Because Ada's at the south. There are four of us; if we split off that way, then both slopes would be evenly guarded," Nami explained. She nodded again, liking the plan. "Great! I'll go with Luffy. Zoro, head over to the south and help Ada out."

"I don't need to be told by you, woman," Zoro grumbled, but did as told. He ran down the path that led him to the south shore.

Nami tugged on Luffy's wrist to get him to follow her. "Let's go, Luffy."

* * *

"Oh? What do we have here?"

Adalina's heart sank to her stomach. The baritone voice reached her ears was lofty, indifferent. She craned her neck to see the imposing figure before her. Peering down at her with cold black eyes was Kuro.

"Adalina, the pirate's daughter," he drawled, pushing up his glasses with the heel of his hand. Five long blades, seemingly cradling his temple from the action, glinted ominously. She saw that the edges were painted in red, and grief washed over her. Kuro being here, the blood on his claws… Zoro lost the fight and his life.

If that was the case, then Kaya…

"It's a curious thing to see you here," the man continued. "I know that you struck a friendship with the young mistress, but never did I consider that a recluse like you would bother to go to such lengths. Tell me, are you truly a witch? Did you use your magic to summon those children to come here?"

Adalina didn't say anything, too overcome with emotions to bother. Her lack of response apparently displeased him because she received a swift kick to the cheek. Adalina skidded on her side and her head throbbed. The pain wasn't as agonizing as her cuts, but it was enough to keep her down.

"I consider myself a pragmatic man, but the timing is awfully convenient." His foot came crashing down on her injured shoulder, eliciting a shriek. "Unfortunately for you, Miss Adalina, your attempts in stopping me is futile."

"Not if we can help it!"

Upon hearing the recognizable boyish shout, Adalina gasped.


	12. The moons beam bold

**Chapter 12:** The moons beam bold

* * *

 **A/N:** Around this time, Zoro's poor navigational skills didn't appear until later in canon. We know that Oda made him directionally challenged afterwards as a running gag, but I theorize that Zoro canonically developed this trait as a sign of Luffy-ism. Like how some of the characters became increasingly goofier in the prolonged exposure of Luffy's presence (or just being a Straw Hat pirate).

Like how Sanji went from a cool and suave waiter to a downright perverted cook? Or how Robin had her own changes to her personality, like how she became less serious about everything? Like she transitioned from a reserved big sister to a perpetually amused mom? I mean, she always seemed to be smiling about something, but she is genuinely happier now (for obvious reasons, yeah). I don't know—that's how I see it.

But, anyways, somehow in the canon, Zoro didn't get lost when he went for the north shore after getting past the slippery slope. Luffy, on the other hand, did. So, by writing Zoro successfully making it without losing his way in this chapter would mean that I'm not making him out of character. Because he really did manage on his own in canon.

Oh gosh. That was a long note. Anyway, please enjoy the story!

* * *

"Hey, I found Miss Kaya!" someone shouted. "Someone get Dr. Rikki over here!"

Gaston didn't need to be told. He tucked his medical bag under his arm and dashed toward the source of the shouting. Next to a low-hanging tree was a small cluster of people, and among them was a sickly pale girl clutching onto a duck.

"Give her space, folks," Gaston said to the hovering group. They obeyed but lingered by, shooting concerned glances at the girl. He recognized them to be the maids and servants of the mansion. Shaking his head, he knelt next to the sitting girl and examined her condition.

The duck lifted its head from its resting spot on the crook of Kaya's arm, turning its beady eyes onto him. "Gwack gwack."

"You overexerted yourself," was Gaston's verdict. "I'm afraid that I don't have anything that'll help you. All I can say is for you to get some rest."

Kaya peered at him through the sweaty tresses that fell across her forehead, her large eyes grief-stricken yet determined. "I can't. I have to go back."

He frowned. "Kaya—"

"I can't!" she suddenly burst out, causing everyone within proximity to flinch. "Merry is still in the mansion. He can't move after what Klahadore did to him."

"Klahadore?" one of the women echoed. "What did he do?"

A whimper escaped her lips. The damp tracks that marked her cheeks were refreshed by a new supply of tears. "He attacked Merry," Kaya said, her voice wobbling. "I _saw_ him."

"Klahadore? But that's impossible!" someone gasped.

"No, it's true." Gaston stood up and turned around to face them. "Some of you might not have seen him, but Klahadore was the one who set off that flare signal into the sky. He also came out wearing swords on each finger. If you read the news three years ago, then you'd know who Klahadore might be."

"Are you saying that Klahadore's Captain Kuro?" a young man asked bemusedly. "But Kuro's been killed by the Marines!"

"He faked his death," Kaya said. "He told me. He said that he pretended as this time just to earn my trust—our trust—so that he could steal my inheritance." She gave a shuddering sigh. "He said that he has his crew docked at the shore to kill everyone."

"What?" the man exclaimed, his eyes popping out of their sockets. "But that's—how could that be—"

"Th-the flare signal," another person stuttered. "Then that was—that was meant for…"

Before panic could set in, Gaston quickly cut in by saying, "Everything is fine. Just as I have said, Ada and her friends have taken care of the slopes."

Kaya looked up at him in surprise. "Adalina-san?"

"You just told us that she's been oiling the slopes. Just how long do you think that's going last?" a woman demanded furiously.

"She and another have been stationed at each slope to shoot down any pirate who manages to climb up," Gaston tried to reassure, but was interrupted.

"Can these friends of hers even be trusted?" an older man asked. "They just arrived recently, haven't they?"

"How do we know that she's not the one who's the cause of all this? The timing is all too convenient," someone else added.

"If she really cared, then why didn't she tell us to begin with?"

"I already told you the reason why," Gaston said, biting back his mounting impatience. "And, no, Ada has nothing to do with Klahadore turning into a pirate. The man was already a pirate—"

"Klahadore has always been so nice—and—and a gentleman! That girl must have done something."

"That's not true!" Kaya refuted, hugging her duck. "Adalina-san is not that kind of person."

"What are we going to do about the slopes? We got pirates coming here!"

"Someone must have tricked Klahadore into doing something like that. There's no way he would willingly do such a thing!"

"We're all going to die!"

" _Enough_!" Gaston thundered, shocking everyone into silence. The doctor was widely known to be a cheerful and friendly man, so to have him raise his voice was understandably surprising. A thrum of rage emanated from the man as his darkened gaze drifted across each face.

"If you even bothered to get to know Ada, you would know that she is not a bloodthirsty witch. She never once showed any signs of mania, but loneliness. She's quiet and reclusive and not like the other children, but only because everyone here has ostracized her just because of situations that spiraled out of her control! Yet despite what little this village has done for her, she's willing to put her life on the line."

Gaston paused his tirade to breathe. Upon his steady exhale, his anger waned slightly. He was calm enough to maintain a respectable volume as he continued. "Ada isn't complicit in Klahadore's schemes; she's trying to stop them. But four teenagers can't handle this on their own. We as adults need to rise up and take action. This is our home, and we can't let a bunch of pirates scare us off."

"What do you propose we do, Gaston?" Gaston looked over to his right to find Cecelia with a crowd standing behind her. They were staring at him expectantly, waiting to hear what he had to say. This startled him, and his eyes met with his wife's. Even though they had been in a relationship for years, Cecelia never failed to surprise him.

"A group needs to go see if Merry is okay." He refocused to the mansion staff. "You guys go. If he's heavily injured, don't move him."

"Kuro slashed his chest," Kaya supplied hastily. "Merry is going to require bandages."

"We'll take care of that," reassured one of the women. "Is there anything else?"

"The mothers, children, disabled, and elderly need to stay behind. If you go past the boundary close to the farmlands, you should see a small house. It's a bit far off, but everyone will be safe there. Cecelia knows the way." Cecelia frowned at him, but she nodded reluctantly.

Inwardly, Gaston apologized to Ada for sacrificing her house. The girl would hate having a large group of people entering her private quarters like this. He just hoped that, once this was all over, she would just dismiss the issue.

"Everyone else, prepare yourselves." He grimaced. "We need to take arms."

* * *

The green shirt kid stood before Kuro, flanked by both of his friends. All of them were shaking like leaves in the wind, yet they maintained their stance against the pirate captain while clinging onto their makeshift weaponry.

"W-we are th-the Witch Surveillance Squad," the green shirt kid managed to sputter out despite his crippling nervousness. "It's our d-duty to watch out for w-witches. Th-th-that means stopping you from hurting Ada!"

A small, uncontrollable dark amusement welled up inside of Adalina. Oh, to laugh or cry at the sight of three pipsqueaks facing off a murderer. They were brandishing their pan, shovel, and bat in front of a man with blood-soaked claws, acting as if having those things would really do something.

The hilarity of the situation morphed into horror when she registered that— _holy_ _shit_ —three tiny brats were deliberately placing themselves before Kuro with the intention of stopping him. And— _shit_ , _shit_ , _shit_ —they were going to get themselves killed.

Why were they here? Adalina wondered this hysterically and madly. Why didn't they evacuate along with the rest of the villagers? They were throwing their lives away for a useless endeavor. Did they seriously believe that they could stand a chance against him?

Kuro sighed. "This night is growing to be more and more irksome," he lamented. Then, down to where the pirates gathered, he called out, "Jango."

"Y-yes, Captain Kuro?"

"Hurry up and get to the village. I don't see why you're wasting time."

"But, sir! The slope—we can't get climb it! It's covered in oil; it's too slippery."

Kuro narrowed his eyes behind his glasses before his gaze flickered back to Adalina. "Did you plan this? You always did strike me as a crafty one ever since that night when you snuck into Miss Kaya's bedroom."

Adalina returned his look with a glare of her own.

"No matter. As thanks for being a nuisance, I'll make your death quick." He lifted a claw over his head, poised for a strike, and Adalina immediately squeezed her eyes shut. The blow never came, however. Instead, she felt his foot shift ever so slightly on her shoulder and an outcry of "Take this!"

She gingerly opened her eyes. To her incredulity, the three boys were pounding their weapons and Kuro's back. The kids were actually _acting_ on their vow, the futility in their efforts notwithstanding. And Kuro? He was just taking the hits nonchalantly, which was surprising since the boys weren't exactly holding themselves back.

In that heart-stopping minute, Adalina bore witness to the boys lashing out at Kuro with all their righteous fury, waiting for the man to react. Kuro then cocked his neck to the side and said, "Children should be seen, not heard."

In a flash, wind gusted over her body. Kuro spun around and whipped his arm down diagonally. It was as though a jolt of lightening entered her system. Adalina hadn't realized that she was screaming until the boys' bodies collapsed with a spray of blood.

" _No_!" She scrabbled for purchase, ignoring the protesting pain that her shoulder bore. She haphazardly groped for her bow and arrow while snarling, "You bastard!"

Kuro kicked her again, sending her onto her back. He stomped onto her chest above her breast, knocking the air out of her lungs. She wildly clawed at his ankle to make him budge, but he only leaned lower, pressing more of his weight into her. She was trapped. Adalina wheezed as she struggled to breathe.

"Get off!" she gasped.

Kuro sneered at her. "I don't know how my time is persistently wasted by you." He then returned his attention over the cliff. "There's another slope south from here that you can take, assuming that it hadn't been tampered with as well. I suggest you hurry and get a move on," he imperiously commanded his men.

"Aye aye, Captain Kuro!" the pirates shouted. The sound of feet stampeding reverberated from the chamber of the incline. There was a sense of vindictive pleasure knowing what the pirates would face. Wanting to piss off the man above her to sate her acrimony, she forced her words to come out.

"N-no point," Adalina grunted. "They won't get up here."

"Oh, for goodness sake. Don't tell me that you really did do the same for the other slope," Kuro spoke in exasperation. "This is going to throw a wrench in my plans."

The blatant annoyance that he didn't bother to conceal, that betrayed the collected butler façade that he had donned on for so long, seemed so out of place. In that moment, Adalina felt like she was one of her classmates being lectured by her long-suffering teacher for goofing off in the halls.

And seeing him like this, Adalina was able to notice how disheveled his appearance was; he looked worse than he did the last time she had seen him. There were strands sticking out of his slicked-back hairstyle. He was without his suit jacket, and his usually immaculate white shirt now had soot stains and tears. Kuro's forehead also had a sheen of perspiration.

Once again, Adalina was nearly compelled to give an inopportune snicker. Did the buzz of fright get to her or was it a psychotic breakdown? She couldn't tell. There were three dead boys lying a few feet away from where she was, and yet here she was, biting her lower lip to stop her from grinning like a loon.

She was at war with herself. There was mirth in how her words brought out a comical response out of Kuro and the sorry state that he was in, yet there were _three dead boys_. There were three dead boys and a dead swordsman—people who gave up their lives for her sake. She couldn't even comprehend why those three runts would go to such lengths for a girl who they had been so apprehensive of.

And there was a possibly dead Kaya. Did Kaya survive the fire? Did she make it out? Or did she perish away in the flames?

Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes. Was Luffy still running around in search of Jango? Did Nami decide to hide away to save herself from the impending massacre? Was Gaston unable to wrangle up the villagers? Adalina didn't blame him if his attempts ended up being in vain; anyone would turn away from him if he mentioned that he got his information from Ada the Witch.

Perhaps she truly was a cursed child. Her mother, Usopp, Dr. Moors… The people who she had cared about were dead, and now Gaston and Kaya and everyone in the village were going to die. All this effort put into place to protect her home was going to be a failure. And what did she have to show for it? Strewn corpses and a pirate captain roosting smugly in his new white castle.

"Do you want the fortune that badly?" Adalina croaked out her question. "Did these three years really mean nothing to you?"

"Yes and yes," Kuro replied dismissively. "And, yes, the young mistress is made privy of this. That green-haired fellow did an excellent job disclosing everything. But no matter—the girl is ill and cannot run off for long. She's easy pickings once I get my men up here."

Adalina closed her eyes, banishing the mental image of Kaya's distraught expression. The blonde had adored Klahadore, almost to the point where she would consider him to be an older brother figure. Adalina couldn't imagine to understand the weight of betrayal and anguish that Kaya was burdened with.

"They won't," she said, opening her eyes to give him a hateful glower.

"They might not," he allowed, "but I'm still here."

"So am I." Adalina slammed her arm out and fished for a stray arrow, and then plunged the pointed tip into Kuro's calf.

Kuro hissed and stumbled back, pulling his foot off of her. He yanked the arrow out and chucked it at her. "You miserable little…"

She propped herself up. Wet lines ran down her cheeks. "If I'm going to die, I might as well make the most of it."

"At least you know what your fate is," he replied sardonically, and slashed her.

During her last seconds, Adalina thought she heard someone cry out her name, but it must have been her mind messing with her. She supposed that dying would do that to you.

The moon beamed down at her, but its light didn't seem as bold as before. Her vision blurred, unable to detect the stars. She finally laughed, but not for the previous reasons. She laughed because of how crappy her life had been and the crappy way she had to go. To get killed by Kuro was awful, but couldn't she at least get a romantic view of the night sky?

Yet that was just how life was, right? She didn't always get what she wanted, and it was her turn to pass on.

Darkness clouded her vision, and Adalina slipped away from the world of consciousness.

" _Gum_ _Gum_ _Gatling_!"


	13. I will be here

**A/N:** I apologize for the wait!

* * *

 **Chapter 13:** I will be here

* * *

"Chamomile."

"Reduces swelling and helps with sleep."

"Elderberry."

"Used for fevers."

"Yarrow."

"Also for fevers."

"And what else?"

"Stomach problems."

"What kind?"

"Uh…" Adalina pursed her lips in thought. "Diarrhea and loss of appetite and…"

"Gastrointestinal tract discomfort," Dr. Moors added.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that because your bowels aren't working the way they should, your abdominal is in pain," Gaston said as he passed by them. He unloaded the paperwork from his arms onto the desk and turned around to click his tongue at the old man. "You're not giving Ada extra work, are you?"

"Of course not," Dr. Moors denied with an affected look of offense, but the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his ruse. Adalina ducked her head to hide her own smile.

"Then I suppose you've got time to sort these all out, huh?"

"My own apprentice—running me ragged like a servant," Dr. Moors lamented to Ada. "I miss the days when it was the other way around."

"Hey, hey, I hardly push you as much as you did back then, old timer," Gaston protested. "Ada knows. Ada, back me up!"

"He's got a point," Adalina admitted.

Dr. Moors sighed. "Now I'm being ganged up by two brats." He shook his head and smiled at her. "I could use something to lift my soul up. Like to come over to help me make grilled fish for dinner, Ada?"

* * *

"Did you see the look on their faces! Ha!"

"Usopp, you're going to get yourself beat up one day if you keep egging those kids on," Adalina chided. "The next time you're here, it won't be because you tripped on the shoreline."

"Trip? Me? I did no such thing! I got these injuries from battling an enemy pirate who wanted to pillage the village," Usopp insisted, gesturing at the bloody gash on his knee. "Isn't that right, Dr. Moors?"

"Hm? Ah, yes." Dr. Moors glanced over before returning his attention to the cabinet. After scanning the materials inside, he closed the cabinet and sighed. "It seems that I have run out of supplies. What an oversight for a doctor."

"Is it because you're old?"

"Hush, boy." He pinched Usopp's cheek, eliciting a squawk out of him. "I'll be back. You two wait here, alright?"

"Yes, sir," the two dutifully intoned.

When the doctor left, Usopp began to swing his legs. Adalina swatted his shoulder. "Stop it."

"Ow! Ada, it's not that bad."

"How do you know? You could be agi-agi-agitating it or something."

"Sheesh, you are such a nag. How is it that Molly and Brenda are still friends with you?" Usopp huffed. There was a moment of silence, and Usopp looked up with a worried frown when he didn't hear his sister respond. "Um, just kidding? You know that I didn't mean that—I know that you're a great friend—!"

"They aren't."

Usopp paused. "Huh?"

"They aren't my friends." Adalina's head was bowed, her fringe curtaining her eyes. "They stopped talking to me and playing with me."

Why… She knew why. Usopp had made himself the outcast, the loser, the freak. He was the pirate wannabe, the one who aspired to be like their deadbeat father, and no one wanted to associate with the likes of him. And because he was her brother, everyone rejected her too. That was why Molly and Brenda started acting like she didn't exist anymore, and that really hurt.

It would be oh-so simple to play along with the crowd and be scornful like them, to turn her back on Usopp. If she had everyone see that she wasn't anything like him, would they take her back? Would they treat her as kindly as they had done before?

But if she did that, then Usopp would be alone… And she couldn't do that to her brother, to her only important person. Mom was dead. Dad was gone. They only had each other. But while Adalina would remain steadfast by her brother's side, it felt as though the pain of loneliness was eating her away. She didn't want to be stuck like this anymore.

Suddenly, she felt warm hands close over hers. When she looked up, she was greeted to the sight of Usopp's beaming face.

"You don't need those guys! You got me, Captain Usopp!" he declared. "And once I'm all better, we can go to the fields and pick flowers and make crowns! And then offer them to the goddess of the seas so that she could give us her blessings."

Adalina reflexively sighed at this. "You mean blessings to go sailing?"

"What else?"

She opened her mouth to berate him for making up fanciful stories again, but then paused. It had been a while since they had made flower crowns together. A few years, to be precise. Memories of weaving yellow daisies together filtered back into her mind, and her heart felt heavy from nostalgia. Adalina nodded slowly and said, "Okay. And we should make one for Mom too. I think she'll appreciate that."

Usopp's eyes widened before he returned her nod fervently. "As if we wouldn't!"

* * *

" _Ada? Can you hear me?"_

" _Ada, wake up!"_

" _Ada!"_

* * *

"Ada."

Adalina perked up at her name being called and smiled brightly at the approaching figure. "Mommy!"

The woman lowered herself, and the tall stalks of grass and wild flowers blanketed her lap. Usopp, who had perched on the crook of her elbow, released his hold on her neck. He jumped down and raced after the butterflies that flitted on by.

Adalina took over for her brother, bounding into her mother's embrace. "Mommy, look! I made a crown." She proudly held up a ring of interwoven flowers. "Is it pretty?"

"So very pretty." Banchina smiled. She took the crown and placed it on top of her head. "Do I look pretty now?"

"You're always pretty, Mommy," Adalina giggled. "Is it time to go home?"

"Yes. Supper is almost ready. We're having stew tonight." The woman scooped Adalina up like how she did for Usopp and straightened up to her full height. Over her shoulder, Banchina called out, "Usopp, it's time to go!"

"But, Mommy! I found something cool! Just five more minutes?" came Usopp's plaintive plea.

"We're having stew, Usopp," Adalina announced. "Come on!"

"You can always come back tomorrow," Banchina reasoned.

"Alright," Usopp huffed out, marching his way back to them. He took a fistful of Banchina's skirt and said, "But you have to come with me to see the cool thing tomorrow, Ada."

"If it's really cool, I will," she vowed.

The walk back home was a peaceful moment. The gentle glow of the evening sun casted a golden hue over the rolling hills. From a distance, chatter and laughter could be heard. She could imagine Molly and Brenda being there; her friends were oftentimes so loud. Alongside them, Usopp skipped along, having forgotten his previous disappointment in leaving the field.

Adalina smiled to herself. Times like these made her feel warm and content, as if she was bundled up in her soft blankets.

"Mommy, could you sing the song?" she requested.

"Hm? But it isn't bedtime yet," Banchina chuckled. "You know lullabies are sung to sleepy children."

She tugged on her sleeve. "Please?"

"Very well." With a gentle smile, Banchina adjusted her hold on Adalina and sang softly. The melody seemed to be carried up high by the dancing breeze, and the low humming lyrics brought forth a lulling comfort. Adalina tucked her head between her mother's collarbone and chin, and let the song wash over her.

* * *

"Ada!"

Adalina gasped and jolted upright. Pain exploded at her torso, causing her to wince and curl an arm around herself. Her movements were restricted, her chest felt tight, and her head was swimming in vertigo. Two hands firmly pushed her shoulders until she was lying on her back—again. In a daze, she noticed two carrot-topped faces floating above hers.

"Hang on. Just—just hold still, okay?" one of them said. Adalina blinked rapidly, her eyes focusing. Gaston?

"Everything is going to be okay. Luffy's beating the shit out of Kuro," the other one—Nami—said. Promptly after she spoke, there was a crash—something like earth shattering. The panic that welled up within her was washed away by the outburst of cheers that seemed to engulf her surroundings.

Adalina tried to survey the area in her prone position. "Wh-who's with us?" she whispered.

"The villagers." Nami looked back her, her eyes shining. "They came charging here with pitchforks and rakes and bats and—they came here to defend their home."

"We only scared off the weaklings," Gaston said a tad sheepishly. "It's your friends who took care of the strong ones. That guy—Luffy—is taking care of Kuro right now. Everyone stayed to witness."

Another rallying roar swept up across the land. There was an undeniable mix of emotions that took hold of everyone. Elation. Relief. The feeling of receiving retributive justice. For Adalina, it felt a bit more than that; it was as if the tight knot in her chest had finally been loosened and she was finally allowed to hand over the reins.

Which was what was happening. By Nami's account and the exultant noise taking place, Luffy was doing a successful job in defeating the famed Captain Kuro. Just how that childish, idiotic loudmouth managed in accomplishing such a thing, she didn't know, but she had a good feeling that it had to do with his rubber powers.

But seconds after she had settled into her reprieve, Adalina jolted when a thought came to her. "Kaya! Gaston, did you see—"

"She's safe. Don't worry, Ada."

"What about Jango?"

"Oh, the hypnotist? Um." Gaston licked his lips. "Klahadore—Kuro—ordered him to set out to find her, but he was subdued by the folks."

"Gaston. Tell me what happened."

"Well, many of them sustained wounds, but—!" he hastily added when Ada attempted to rise up again "—they'll be okay. They'll live."

Hearing all this good news made Adalina decide to test her luck. She pressed on, asking, "What was Zoro doing?" Was he okay? Was he alive, after all?

"Fighting against two of Kuro's men," Nami took over to explain. "After Zoro wiped the floor with most of them, Jango hypnotized these two guys—the Meow-something Brothers—into becoming incredibly strong. I know—sounds crazy, right? But we've seen it happen—that Jango can make someone strong enough to punch craters into the ground with just hypnotism alone."

"The power of what the brain can do," mused Gaston, unwittingly slipping into his doctor mode. "To think that manipulating the mind into performing physical feats such as obtaining supernatural strength…"

"Zoro took a nasty beating from Kuro before he won against the brothers, so he's resting right now," Nami continued. "I told you before, right? Luffy and Zoro are tough; they won't go down so easily."

So it would seem, and Adalina was all the more glad for it. "And the kids?" Were they alive too?

"You mean Ninjin, Piman, and Tamanegi? They're going to be fine too. They suffered from lacerations, but their injuries are nothing too troubling. Their parents aren't happy, though, understandably." Gaston frowned. "They think that you convinced them into following you."

As happy as she was to hear that the boys survived from their attack, she couldn't help but feel annoyed by the assumption. Adalina mirrored his expression. "They came on their own accord. I wouldn't…"

"I know, Ada. You're not that kind of person. Once this is over, we'll straighten things out once and for all."

At the "once and for all" part, her eyes widened. "You mean…?"

He smiled. "I think after what's been happening this night, people will be more inclined to listen to what I have to say now."

The fighting continued from what Adalina could hear. Sleep was the last thing that she felt like doing for the time being, but she was simultaneously weary to her bones and didn't want to move a single muscle. She was content in lying where she was, flanked by both Nami and Gaston. She didn't need to see how Luffy was faring, and she didn't care to witness how battered Kuro was. Luffy's continual shouts of his "Gum Gum" attacks gave her an idea, anyway.

Adalina stared up at the dark skies. She hadn't thought of this as possible, that the villagers would actually rise up to an occasion like this. She had played with the idea back when Gaston, Luffy, and everyone else were gathered in her house, but she didn't think that this would become a reality. How Gaston managed to convince them—if it was him—she would have to ask him about it later.

"You won't bring me down," Luffy's voice pierced through the cheers, loud and clear. "I made a promise to Ada to help save her village!"

"Foolish boy, you think that I'll go down so easily as well?" was Kuro's snarling response. "And just who do you think you are in trying to oppose me?"

"I'm the man who's going to become the King of the Pirates!"

At his declaration, Adalina smiled wryly to herself. For someone who was able to take on Kuro, he still acted like a kid.

"And I won't let you hurt Ada or anyone from her village! She's going to be my sniper!"

Adalina felt hands clasp around hers. Her eyes slid over to where Nami was, meeting her broad smile. "You hear that? Luffy's got you covered," Nami said.

Nami—she came back—she didn't run away.

Just this once, Adalina thought to herself, things just may go as she wanted. For a moment, she wondered if she could possibly dare to dream that she could be this hopeful, this happy. A tentative yet warm feeling ballooned within her chest, and the corners of her eyes were actually wet from tears. She felt silly for even being emotional about this, but she had endured this for _years_ and _years_. Perhaps…this was it. This was the day that Adalina could break away from her self-imposed confinements of solitude and muster the courage to establish a connection.

Just as Gaston had always encouraged her to do. Previously, her uncertainty and reservations had kept her from reaching out to others, but those chains were now broken. She wasn't going to be held back anymore. Everything seemed possible because she had Gaston by her side. His promise and earnest eyes caused her heart to swell with elation at what possibility the future may hold for her.

Adalina returned Nami's smile, and then turned her head to look up at Gaston.

Gaston grinned. "Everything is going to be alright—"

 _Bang_!

* * *

"Do you remember the song?"

"Of course I remember the song." Adalina rolled her eyes. "Mom used to sing it to us every night."

Usopp idly swung his legs, and Adalina vaguely wondered if she should get him to stop. But his knee was fine, so she let it go. "I know that Mom did," he said, "but I just can't remember the words."

"How can you forget? That's ridiculous."

"Well, do you remember them?"

* * *

" _Staunch the bleeding! Quick!"_

" _We're losing him!"_

* * *

"Yeah, its…" Adalina trailed off when she, in fact, did not remember. The lyrics somehow eluded her despite having heard them for years. She frowned. "Huh, that's weird."

"You forgot too, didn't you?"

"I… Yeah, I guess I did."

"Heh. I remember."

She directed her frown onto him. "You just said that you didn't."

Usopp stuck his tongue out. "I lied! Or did I?"

Unamused by his antics, she shoved his shoulder. "Tell me the words," she demanded.

"Nah!" He stuck his tongue out.

"Usopp!"

"I don't need to tell you," he said with a grin. "You already know. You just have to wake up."

* * *

" _Ada!"_

" _Ada!"_

" _Ada!"_

* * *

"Why would I do that? The song is a lullaby. It's meant for sleeping children."

"Ada." Usopp's smile dropped, and he now looked sad. "Ada, you have to let this go."

Confused, her brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Ada, none of this is your fault. None of this Dad's fault either. And you can't keep relying on Gaston for everything. You have to let this go and move on."

Dr. Moors's office shifted and twisted and vanished. They were now sitting in the middle of the meadow, flowers and tall stalks of grass surrounding them like a nest. They weren't nine anymore. Or, rather, Adalina wasn't nine. She was seventeen, and her brother, her twin, was still nine. He was looking up at her with sad eyes, but the smile on his face was hopeful.

"You were the one with common sense," he said. "So use that brain of yours, alright?"

"But…" Adalina trembled and shook her head. Her world was beginning to eclipse, and she desperately grabbed his hands. "I don't remember the words!"

"You will. Just don't forget what I said, okay?"

* * *

When Adalina woke up, she was lying on the medical bed of Gaston's office. Sitting by her was Cecelia, who looked away from the window and towards her. The woman's eyes were red and there were tear stains on her cheeks, but her expression was composed, closed-off.

The room was shrouded in darkness, yet the early morning sun lightened the sky into a hazy azure hue. Adalina pushed herself upright and winced at the ache. She looked around and found that she and Cecelia were the only occupants here. She gave a shuddering sigh and returned her attention to the woman.

"Is he…?" she rasped.

"He's gone," were the first words that Cecelia said to her, and that was the confirmation that Adalina needed to hear.


End file.
